PARIS – Donald Trump’s entry to White House has somewhat stirred panic among world leaders with countries updating travel advice one after the other.
After Germany, Canada and the UK, France has also updated its travel advice on Monday for those traveling to the United States to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.
In its updated travel advice, France has warned travelers to declare their gender assigned at birth when completing visa or ESTA applications. The development comes weeks after President Donald Trump clarified in his victory speech that there would only be two genders in the United States.
In another decree, the Trump administration has stated that the US government only recognizes the gender assigned to a person at birth which means that a non-binary status or different gender cannot be marked on documents.
In a notice, the French foreign ministry advised potential visitors to consult the U.S. Embassy in Paris for the latest information, urging vigilance over any changes or new measures adopted by U.S. authorities.
“In particular, for new visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) applications, it is important to note that a section has been added that requires… applicants to state their ‘gender assigned at birth’,” read a statement issued by the foreign ministry.
The ministry has however clarified that it had no knowledge of any French national being denied entry to the US due to a gender-related question.
It bears mentioning that the US government has increased scrutiny of the foreigners entering the country as part of the national security measures and an impending travel ban is also being discussed though no official confirmation is available as of now.
A few days ago, Germany also cautioned its citizens heading to the US through a travel advice to follow the rules, specifically mentioning that the final decision rests with the US authorities.
The travel advice was updated after three German nationals were denied entry and were detained as they tried to enter the United States though the country’s foreign ministry asserts that the updated guidance doesn’t constitute an official travel warning to the US.
Moreover, the government of the United Kingdom has also updated its travel advice for those heading to the US, warning of harsh consequences for British passport holders who violate U.S. immigration laws.
