by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG – A GLOBAL human rights group has denounced a travel ban the United States has imposed on citizens from a number of countries.
The US has imposed the ban on visitors from Afghanistan, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
There is a partial ban on people from another seven countries.
“President (Donald) Trump’s new travel ban is discriminatory, racist and downright cruel,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.
She said by targeting people based on their race, religion, or nationality, from countries with predominantly Black, Brown and Muslim-majority populations, this blanket ban constituted racial discrimination under international human rights law.
“It also spreads hate and disinformation, reinforcing the notion that these populations are more likely to pose security risks or engage in acts of violence.”
Amnesty argues this travel ban is yet another iteration of the Trump administration’s persistent trampling on the rights of immigrants and those seeking safety.
Callamard said this travel ban was not different than the ones that President Trump put into place in his first term.
“It is based on racism and xenophobia and has nothing to do with national security or keeping anyone safe.”
Trump imposed the bans late Wednesday, claiming they were security measures.
His first term at the White House from 2017 to 2021 was also characterised by controversy.
