US to Cease Issuing Visas to Laos Citizens Following Deportation Row

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US Restriction on Laos Visas

The Trump administration has ordered suspension of the issuance of visas to certain citizens of Laos after the country refused to take back its persons deported from the United States.

The US Department of Homeland Security made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, saying it had ordered the State Department to sanction visas for Laos and Myanmar because the two countries “have denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed.”

US officials claim they had made diplomatic communications at the highest level of government in Laos before resorting to the heavy penalties.

US consular officials in Vientiane were ordered to impose visa restrictions on certain applicants.

A statement at the Department of Homeland Security website reads, “as of July 9, 2018, the US Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, has discontinued the issuance of all B1, B2, and B1/B2 nonimmigrant visas for current officials at the Director General level and above from the Lao Ministry of Public Security (MPS) as well as their immediate families; and all A3 and G5 nonimmigrant visas to individuals employed by Lao government officials, with limited exceptions.”

According to US law, countries that agree to accept back citizens must issue travel documents for deportees before the US can deport them. In the case of Laos, the government allegedly refused or delayed the supply of these documents.

As of July, nine countries including Laos are being considered uncooperative. Sanctions still apply to Cambodia and Myanmar as well.

Source: DHS, Washing Examiner

10 COMMENTS

  1. I heard many Lao’s citizens come here said, they paid under table for US consular in Vietiane to issue the US visa for them to come to US. The Home Land Security or State Department must pay attention for this matter.

  2. The U.S. can deport these individuals a much easier way then that.
    All the U.S. needed to do is approve individual with passport to travel and Visa to travel out of the USA. I am very sure that most detainees or ins status immigrants will love to get out of the USA on their own accord.