World Bank warns its Colombian employees to skip US travel

WASHINGTON – The World Bank on Jan 27 warned its Colombian employees against travelling to or from the US after three of its staff were affected by visa restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trump, sources familiar with the matter said.

The bank’s security team issued the guidance after two of its staff had their G4 visas revoked and were deported shortly after their arrival on flights to Washington, the sources said.

G4 visas allow non-US citizens to work for international diplomatic institutions in the US.

A third bank employee was prevented from boarding a flight to the US, the sources said, confirming details first reported by the New York Times.

The World Bank visa issues arose on Jan 26 during a tense stand-off between the Colombian government and the Trump administration over deportation flights.

The two sides ultimately reached a deal late on Jan 26, staving off tariffs and sanctions threatened by Mr Trump to punish Colombia for its initial refusal to accept military flights carrying deportees.

A World Bank spokesperson said the multilateral development bank, which has thousands of international employees at its Washington headquarters, was still working with the US government to address the issue.

“The World Bank Group leadership team is actively engaging with US government counterparts to resolve this matter,” the spokesperson said.

World Bank staff were caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events on Colombia and are bracing themselves for further disruptions in coming weeks as the Trump administration prepares to impose tariffs on other countries, including Mexico and Canada, as early as Feb 1, one of the sources said. REUTERS