Foreign minister Murray McCully says US President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from Muslim-majority countries is causing "considerable concern" but he has stopped short of directly criticising it. "At this stage MFAT has not received any requests for consular assistance as a result of the 90 day US immigration ban. A permanent ban has been put in place for Syrian refugees, and a temporary ban for other refugees. "We're hearing reports of families being kept apart by Trump's law change and being penalised for their ethnicity and religion. Trump's executive order has led to chaos and confusion in US airports as people from Arab countries are blocked from entering the country or boarding planes.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 29, 2017 22:14 UTC