POTUS#45 seems to be under the same misunderstanding about the EU as many Brexiteers. The EU is not a nation as is the US, it's up to the individual sovereign states within the EU to take their own actions regarding COVID-19. I'm unclear where this leaves states such as Switzerland and Iceland who are members of Schengen but not EU members (it may be in the details somewhere but not had time to study the detail)?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51846923
Michael Ixer ● 1868d17 Comments
First it was fake news invented by the Democrats, then it was the EU's fault, now it will indeed be the Mexicans' - what a frightening fool!
Jane Carter ● 1867d
Earlier Trump tried using the virus as an excuse to find his Mexico wall. The fact that they had fewer cases than the US and would be more likely to ban US visitors escaped him
Sean Hodges ● 1867d
"I don't wish any harm to anyone, but I think karma will catch him up."I have thought that some big real problem out of left field would be the thing which would catch him out and drop him right in it, rather than the crises which he manufactures himself (Korea, Iran). But I rather hoped that the UK would not be involved.
David Ainsworth ● 1868d
Why would anyone think Trump has thought it out? He was in denial a couple of weeks ago and yes, he thinks it's a foreign import (like immigrants) set to destroy the US. What a fool!! I don't wish any harm to anyone, but I think karma will catch him up.
Bunny Payne ● 1868d
He seems to have described it as a "foreign virus" that started in China, he's excluded the UK from the travel ban as we're doing a good job ... time will tell ...
Michael Ixer ● 1868d
Or even go to Ireland and clear US immigration at Shannon? You might need an Irish, UK or other non Schengen passport ...
I expect he just wants some foreigners to blame.
Philippa Bond ● 1868d
Presumably if i were in Paris and had a burning desire to go to New York I could just fly or get the eurostar to London and then fly onward to the US.Doesn't sound too well thought out to me
Matt Palmer ● 1868d
Looking at this map in this article it appears the US travel ban applies to the Schengen area not the EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51857462
Missed out saying there were no obvious border checks!
When I visited CERN in September 2014 we well starting in Ferney-Voltaire across the border in France (hotels and restaurants are cheaper in France) and being bused to and from Geneva across the French/Swiss border. Perhaps the main reason for checks on the motorways is, as you say, to sell permits? We were on local roads. Not all Swiss are happy being in Schengen, so there's another referendum in May.https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/switzerland-may-lose-access-to-schengen/
Not sure about Switzerland and Schengen. I went there a couple of years ago by road from France and there were good old fashioned border guards, barriers, checks etc. Not just to get you out of your car of course - you have to buy a pass to use their motorways.
Jonathan Callaway ● 1868d
Trump also has golf courses in the UK and Eire. In fact I believe he's meeting Leo Varadkar at the Irish one soon. How else does he get the US taxpayer to subsidise his hotels with Bill's for his protection squad?On another point, Switzerland isn't in the EU but is in Schengen so that seems to make nonsense of his travel ban if Switzerland isn't included?
Quite possibly a reason the UK has been excluded from the ban is that Trump doesn't wan to ruin relations with our Crime Minister and ruin the opportunities that Brexit will afford him and Putin...
Ben Rainbow ● 1868d
I think that Europe must have joined his "Axis of Evil", along with China, Iran, North Korea (?), South of the Border, and the sh*th*le countries. For some reason, we here on Airstrip One are excluded.
But as you say, Michael, POTUS#45 does not understand what the EU is, very much in line with many Brexiteers. As for Trump, it is easier for him to bang all countries altogether and say no to mainland Europe. I very much doubt he knows what the Schengen visa is.
Ivonne Holliday ● 1868d
Well, as far as I understand it, the UK, Ireland and other Schengen-free countries are exempt from the ban, which includes Switzerland among others I believe. https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries_en#members-of-the-schengen-border-free-area