US immigration ban forces airlines to refuse passengers

President Donald Trump has ordered an immigration ban from seven Muslim-majority nations. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Dutch airline KLM says it has had to turn away seven would-be passengers.

Manel Vrijenhoek, from KLM, said: “We would love to bring them there. That’s not the problem. It’s just that this is what the US sprang on the rest of the world - that these people are no longer welcome.”

She said the seven were due to fly with KLM from different airports around the world. Ms Vrijenhoek confirmed they were from countries affected by the three-month immigration ban. The affected countries are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Qatar Airways is advising passengers bound for the US from banned countries that they need to have either a green card or a diplomatic visa to travel.

A statement on the company’s website says: “Nationals of the following countries: Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen ... may travel to the US only if they are in possession of a permanent resident card (Green card) or any of the below visas.”

Cairo airport officials said seven US-bound migrants - six from Iraq and one from Yemen - had been prevented from boarding an EgyptAir flight to New York’s JFK airport.

The officials said the seven migrants, escorted by officials from the UN refugee agency, were stopped from boarding the plane after authorities at Cairo airport contacted their counterparts in JFK airport.

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