Tiny Tuvalu seeks assurance from US its citizens won't be barred
An internal diplomatic cable signed by US secretary of state Marco Rubio showed the US, which has barred entry for citizens from 12 countries, was considering expanding travel restrictions to the 36 countries, including three Pacific Island states, Reuters and other media reported last month.
Nations on the list would have 60 days to take corrective action, the cable showed.
The news had caused significant concern in Tuvalu, whose population of 11,000 is at risk from rising sea levels, and where a third of residents have applied to an Australian ballot for a landmark climate migration visa.
Tuvalu's ambassador to the UN, Tapugao Falefou, said he had been told by a US official that Tuvalu's inclusion on the list was 'an administrative and systemic error on the part of the US department of state'.
On Tuesday, Tuvalu's government said it had not received formal notification that it was on the list, and had also been assured by the US embassy in Fiji it was 'an error within the system'.
'The embassy has provided verbal assurances that there are no restrictions on Tuvaluan nationals entering the US, and the matter is being reviewed with authorities in Washington,' the statement from Tuvalu's ministry of foreign affairs, labour and trade said.
It added Tuvalu was seeking a 'formal written confirmation to that effect and continues to engage the US government to ensure Tuvaluans are not unfairly affected'.
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