Authorities in Canada have banned visitors from dozens of countries, including southern Africa, due to concern that their leaders will try to use the region’s resources to fuel rising global tensions.
The country last month banned travelers from 50 countries, citing current geo-political tension in the Middle East and elsewhere, The Globe and Mail reported. Some countries listed as “state sponsors of terrorism” include Sudan, Libya, Iran, and Syria.
Earlier this month, the Canadian government lifted restrictions on 50 countries, a list it last expanded in October 2018 when it banned entry to Iran and Syria.
While the American and Canadian bans are different, the changes are in response to political turmoil sparked by President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, two officials who support the measures told the Globe and Mail.
In a statement to Fox News, Canada’s immigration department denied any political or “ideological considerations” in the department’s choice of countries.
At the end of last year, Trump doubled down on his anti-Iran rhetoric by imposing stricter oil sanctions on the country.
The new embargo on Iran’s oil, which goes into effect on November 4, comes just weeks after Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran must “do more” to share power and allow human rights there.