Boris Johnson says Trump’s travel ban will make no difference to British passport holders
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has told MPs that holders of British passports will remain unaffected by harsh new immigration rules introduced in the US.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order introducing a 90 day restriction on arrivals from Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.
Despite reassurances from the Foreign Office this weekend, further doubts had emerged on the back of travel advice from the US embassy.
Read More: March on Downing Street planned to protest Trump's Muslim travel ban
But speaking in the House of Commons today, Johnson said that information would be updated imminently.
"The general principle is that all British passport holders remain welcome to travel to the US," Johnson said.
"We have received assurances from the US embassy that this executive order will make no difference to any British passport holder, irrespective of their country of birth or whether they hold another passport."
Read More: Starbucks to hire 10,000 refugees in response to Trump's Muslim travel ban
Johnson also reiterated the British government's opposition to Trump's plans, which also included an indefinite halt to asylum applications from Syria, acknowledging that the policy was both "highly controversial" and had "caused unease".
The foreign secretary also paid tribute to the UK's "vital" alliance with the US.
"We work together more closely than any two countries in the world," Johnson said.
"Where we have differences with the United States we will not quail from expressing them."