Trump administration exempts European students from COVID-19 travel ban

The US State Department on July 16 reportedly announced the exemption of European students from a travel ban that the country had imposed in the midst of coronavirus pandemic. According to an international media outlet, the state department also plans to offer exemptions for some au pairs and family members of visa holders in the US. The recent moves by the US government are a part of a Trump administration effort to gradually reopen international travel. 

President Donald Trump back in March had banned travellers from most European countries as COVID-19 cases soared in the region before it took hold in the US. Recently, as the European Union began to allow travel form a limited number of countries, however, with America being the worst-hit nation across the globe, the EU officials did not include the US in the list. 

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Meanwhile, the exemption of foreign students coming from Europe comes days after the US President agreed to repeal a policy that could have forced international students to leave the country if their classes went entirely online. The reversal of the controversial directive came after the rule sparked a flurry of litigation beginning with the suit brought by Harvard and MIT, followed by California’s public colleges and later a coalition of 17 states. Further, the Trump administration was also pressurised by business and tech companies. 

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Policy directive will not be enforced anyplace 

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to bar international students from staying in the country if they attend American universities that offer only online courses during the COVID-19 health crisis. However, Judge Allison Burroughs, the federal district judge in Boston reportedly announced that the two parties-Harvard, MIT and Trump administration- will return to ‘status-quo’. She further added that the policy would apply nationwide. "Both the policy directive and the frequently asked questions would not be enforced anyplace," she said, referring to the agreement between the US government and MIT and Harvard.

As per reports, the recent announcement by the State Department will now allow students in European countries, who already have visas to study in the US, to travel the nation. The US officials have also reportedly said that the spouses and children of certain foreign workers coming to the country could qualify for exemptions, including the spouses of skilled workers with H-1B visas. 

(Image: AP) 

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