Downing Street remains certain that British citizens with dual nationality will not be affected by Donald Trump’s travel ban if they are travelling from the UK, despite confusion on the subject after a new statement from the US embassy.
Theresa May’s deputy official spokeswoman said on Monday that the government was confident in a clarification secured by the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, on Sunday.
That advice said British citizens with dual nationality from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen would not be affected unless they were travelling to the US from one of those seven countries.
However, the US embassy in London issued contradictory guidance on Monday morning telling any national or dual national of these Muslim-majority countries not to attempt to apply for a US visa.
It advised: “Please do not schedule a visa appointment or pay any visa fees at this time. If you already have an appointment scheduled, please DO NOT ATTEND your appointment as we will not be able to proceed with your visa interview.”
The US embassy had no immediate clarification following’s No 10’s remarks and its guidance was still present on its website by mid-afternoon. “We do not have any updates at this time,” a US embassy spokesman said.
However, a UK government source insisted the US embassy was “wrong and behind the curve”, saying Trump’s own team had signed off the Foreign Office’s advice issued on Sunday night.
“They are in charge,” they added, revealing that there had been further conversations with the White House on Monday morning to confirm that the British government was providing citizens with the correct information.
US embassy in Berlin just posted this notice on its Facebook page - unambiguous that ban applies to dual citizens too pic.twitter.com/R0CvIKUPHV
— Philip Oltermann (@philipoltermann) January 30, 2017
Other US embassies around the world, including those in Germany and Austria, appeared to be using the same wording in its advice to prospective travellers.
May remains under intense pressure over her response to Trump’s travel ban, which was ordered the day after she held talks with the president in the White House.
She is facing calls to cancel or scale back a proposed state visit for Trump, but No 10 insisted on Monday that the invitation would not be rescinded.
“We have extended an invitation to the president, he has accepted it, and it is right that we continue to forge our close relationships,” May’s deputy spokesman said.
The spokesman also claimed Trump’s state visit was a matter for a special committee in the Foreign Office. He could not say what role Downing Street had played in the decision to ask Trump so early in his presidency.
However, it subsequently emerged that a No 10 representative sat on the Foreign Office committee that proposed the invitation.
Downing Street later clarified that May was “very happy” to extend the invitation to Trump for a state visit on behalf of the Queen, adding that the UK government “looks forward to hosting the president later this year”.
Johnson will make a statement about the travel ban to parliament on Monday afternoon. The Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi and the former Labour leader Ed Miliband have jointly called for an emergency debate.
Zahawi, who was born in Baghdad, said on Sunday that he feared he would not be allowed into the US to see his sons who are studying there.
Miliband tweeted: “We think it essential the House of Commons has proper chance immediately to debate & send out united message against this abhorrent policy.”
The Labour MP Stephen Doughty has tabled an early day motion condemning Trump’s action and seeking for him to be barred from addressing parliament on his state visit. Early day motions have no force but are a way for MPs to indicate their support for issues by signing them. Doughty’s motion was understood to be attracting significant support.
May also faces considerable pressure from within her own party to act over the Trump visit. Sayeeda Warsi, who became the first female Muslim cabinet minister under David Cameron, added her voice on Monday to the calls for the state visit to be cancelled.
A protest against Trump’s executive order was planned to be held outside Downing Street on Monday evening, with others expected in cities including Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester.
Trump issued a statement overnight saying that his executive order did not specifically target Muslims and could be lifted in the future.