The Donald Trump administration has announced a new visa freeze affecting 75 countries, including Pakistan. This pause takes effect from January 21 and will continue indefinitely until the State Department issues further notification.
Questionable Data Behind the Ban
South Asia expert Michael Kugelman has raised serious doubts about keeping Pakistan on this list. He points out there is no reliable data showing Pakistanis take welfare benefits from the United States. In fact, the Pakistani-American community is widely recognized as highly affluent.
"The ban appears based on a chart President Trump shared earlier this month," Kugelman explained. "This chart listed country-wise percentages of immigration benefits going to people. Pakistan showed 40.2%, but the chart provided no sourcing. Some figures seem completely off."
How the List Was Compiled
The Trump administration has not given specific reasons for choosing these 75 countries. However, the State Department stated that during this pause, they will reassess immigration processing procedures. Their stated goal is preventing entry of foreign nationals who might take welfare and public benefits.
Kugelman noted that most nations on Trump's chart appear on the new list of 75 countries facing visa restrictions. Bhutan tops the chart with 81.4%, followed by Pakistan at 40.2%. Both countries are new entries to such restriction lists.
Previous lists primarily featured African nations, making the inclusion of South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bhutan particularly noteworthy.
Expert Analysis of the Figures
Kugelman wrote extensively about the questionable nature of these statistics. "The chart has no sourcing whatsoever. It claims 40% of Pakistani immigrant households receive assistance, but data actually shows the Pakistani-American community is highly affluent. Some explanation of how this data was derived would certainly help clarify matters."
The expert emphasized that without proper sourcing and methodology, these percentages remain highly suspect. The affluent nature of the Pakistani diaspora in America contradicts the administration's stated concerns about welfare dependency.
Countries Affected by the Freeze
The comprehensive list includes 75 nations spanning multiple continents:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Colombia
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- North Macedonia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Republic of the Congo
- Russia
- Rwanda
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Yemen
This sweeping measure represents one of the broadest immigration restrictions implemented by the Trump administration. The indefinite nature of the pause adds significant uncertainty for citizens of these nations seeking to immigrate to the United States.
