Trump administration announces travel bans for 12 countries

US president Donald Trump has announced a travel ban for citizens of 12 countries, with a further seven subject to partial bans.

The president said the ban was necessary to protect the US, adding America could not have "open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter".

Although there are some exemptions, including for athletes travelling for large events and dual nationals, the new policy will take effect for all travellers from the countries from June 9.

The countries subject to the full ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be subject to a partial ban.

The move has echoes of Trump’s controversial ban on travellers from seven majority-Muslim countries during his first term in office, which critics referred to as the “Muslim ban” and was subject to several legal challenges before being upheld.

However, the countries identified on the new list are not all Muslim-majority, with the president saying the rationale for inclusion is based on numbers of citizens overstaying on visas or instability in their home nations.

He confirmed the list was subject to change, and the US secretary of state could grant exemptions on a “case-by-case” basis.