Reprieve for UK citizens as anger mounts over US travel ban

Protestors rally during a demonstration at John F. Kennedy Airport against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump. Picture: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Britons with dual citizenship will be exempt from President Donald Trump's controversial new US travel ban, foreign office staff have said.

Mr Trump’s team told Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson that Britons who have shared nationality with one of the seven mainly-Muslim countries covered by the restrictions would not be stopped from entering America.

But UK dual citizens travelling to the United States directly from one of the banned countries will face extra checks.

Mr Johnson’s officials have issued guidance about what the border clampdown means for the UK.

The statement said:

- The ban applies to only individuals travelling from one of the seven named countries - Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

- Travellers to the US from anywhere other than one of those countries will experience no extra checks, regardless of nationality or place of birth.

- UK nationals travelling from one of those countries are not included in the ban, even if they were born in one of the affected states.

- Dual citizens from one of the seven countries travelling to the US from outside those countries are not affected.

- Dual nationals might have extra checks if they travel directly from one of the seven countries.

Prime Minister Theresa May is facing intense pressure to axe the state visit planned for Donald Trump following widespread outrage over his travel ban on Muslims and refugees.

Ministers face being hauled into the Commons amid continued concerns about the impact on Britons, as well as the way the Government has responded.

Mrs May was also criticised on Saturday after failing initially to condemn the travel ban.

Nearly one million people have signed a petition to stating Mr Trump should not be given a state visit and it will now be considered for debate by MPs.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and SNP have called for the lavish event to be cancelled and Tory MPs have warned against allowing it to go ahead.

Conservative former minister Alistair Burt said the “optics of a visit are currently very bad” and suggested American officials should find a way for it not to go ahead.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it was “very likely” there would be an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday to discuss the travel ban.

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