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Trump visa ban sparks chaos, airlines action

Dubai - Trump's controversial move on Friday to halt the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries ave been met caused confusion and panic among travellers.

Airlines operating in the region, including the UAE, have started rolling out advisories after several passengers were turned back from US-bound flights on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump's controversial move on Friday to halt the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries unless strict visa rules have been met caused confusion and panic among travellers.
"A very small number of our passengers travelling were affected by the new US immigration entry requirements implemented by the US Customs and Border Protection today. Where applicable, we are assisting the affected travellers with their flight re-bookings. Passengers are responsible for ensuring they have the required documents for their travel," an Emirates airline spokesperson told Khaleej Times.
Two travel agencies in Iran claimed they had been instructed by Etihad Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines not to sell US tickets or allow Iranians holding American visas to board US-bound flights. However, we were unable to clarify if these claims were true or not on Saturday.
When Khaleej Times spoke to a Qatar Airways spokesperson in the UAE, he said passengers were being urged to check the 'travel alerts' page on its website.
Under the heading, 'Changes to entry requirements to the United States', the Qatar Airways advisory read: "Nationals from these countries may travel to the US only if they are in possession of a permanent resident card (Green card) or any of the below visas: A1 & A2 (Government Officials and immediate family); C2 (Travel to UN); G1 & G2 (Representative & employees of international organisations); G3 & G4 (Representatives to and employees of international organisations); and Nato."
It stated the advisory was issued "as per an Immigration Advisory Notice from US Customs and Border Protection" with regards to new US immigration entry requirements affecting the nationals of the seven countries.
Affected passengers are being urged to contact their booking agent to amend travel arrangements and for more information on the rules, they can visit the US Customs and Border Protection site.
One media report stated the six passengers who were bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday were prevented from boarding EgyptAir Flight 985 at Cairo airport, despite holding valid immigration visas.
It also said that the five Iraqis had arrived in transit from Erbil and were being held at the airport until they could be re-boarded on flights back to Iraq, whereas the Yemeni passenger had arrived at the airport from elsewhere in Cairo.
Dutch airline KLM said it had refused carriage to the United States to seven passengers from predominately Muslim countries subject to a temporary immigration ban imposed by the Trump administration.
On Friday, Trump put a four-month The world voiced concern over the Trump decision. France, Germany and Luxembourg voiced disquiet, while the United Nations and NGOs called for a rethink.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
Green card holders are also included in the ban
People holding so-called green cards, making them legal permanent US residents, are included in President Donald Trump's executive action temporarily barring people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, a department of homeland security spokeswoman said on Saturday. "It will bar green card holders," Gillian Christensen, acting department of homeland security spokeswoman, said in an email. - Reuters