Australia to delay visas to US amid US border crisis
By Peter ThumbergPublished February 01, 2017 08:24:27Updated February 01.2017 09:24-19T:00:00Australia will delay visas for US citizens after President Donald Trump threatened to withhold visa approvals for people from the two countries, according to a White House statement on Thursday.
The move comes after Trump announced last month he would cancel visas for visitors from the US, as well as temporary visa holders and people from other nations.
The statement said the government is looking at a range of options to help ensure visas can be processed quickly.
The announcement came a day after the White House said it was considering granting visas for the spouses of US citizens and permanent residents.
“The White House is working closely with the Australian Government to explore options to ensure the safety of US citizen family members, including spouses and children, who travel to Australia,” the statement said.
“We are working with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to develop a strategy to protect the safety and security of the US citizens, permanent residents and visitors in Australia.”
In a series of tweets, Trump warned against the potential of an escalation of the border crisis, which he described as the worst he has faced.
Australia’s border with the United States is currently closed to international traffic due to a humanitarian crisis caused by the virus.
Australia is not the only country that has imposed restrictions on people entering the US following Trump’s announcement.
Germany is also considering suspending visa-free travel to the US.
Germany and Australia have been locked in a war of words since Trump took office on January 20, threatening to shut down the entire US-Australia trade corridor unless Washington pays a $1.6 billion settlement with Iran.US Senator Ted Cruz, who represents Texas in the US Senate, said the US is not willing to pay a price for its border security and that he would “dismantle” Trump’s order.
“It’s not that they want to pay the price for that,” Cruz told Fox News.
“What they’re really after is the return of the kind of isolationism and the sort of protectionism that led to the first 9/11,” he said.
Cruz also warned that Trump is threatening to cut off the US from the world.
“If we don’t act now, the worst outcome is we’ll have a situation where, one day, China will come into our country and take all of our jobs, all of their resources, and it will be the biggest economic catastrophe of all time,” Cruz said.
Reuters/Reuters
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