WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump issued an expanded version of his travel ban on Friday that targets prospective immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries.

The move that could affect thousands of people and reignite the debate on whether the policy is discriminatory, Reuters reported.

Of the six countries added to the ban, four are African nations and three have Muslim-majority populations.

Democrats and immigration advocates accuse the Trump administration of seeking to expand its original 2017 ban that targeted Muslim-majority countries and of disproportionately focusing on African countries.

The United States will suspend the issuance of visas that can lead to permanent residency for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, a presidential proclamation said.

Temporary visas for tourists, business people, students and workers from those nations will not be affected, it said.

(With input from agencies)