The United States has announced that it is lifting its ban on refugees from 11 what it termed high-risk countries. <br/><br/>Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, however, said in Washington that those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. She said the refugees will have to undergo risk-based assessments before admission.<br/><br/>The Trump administration had banned refugees from 10 Muslim-majority nations and North Korea in October. The 11 countries have not been identified officially. But refugee groups say they include Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Mali, North Korea, Syria and Yemen.<br/><br/>The move comes as President Donald Trump presses for a sharp turn in overall US immigration policy. <br/><br/>Last week, he had proposed to end the 27-year-old green card lottery program that aims to diversify the source of immigrants, leading to an upturn in those from West Asian and African countries.<br/><br/>