UN rights experts: US immigration order violates international human rights obligations
Friday, February 3, 2017 at 05:22AM [JURIST]
A group of UN human rights experts on Wednesday said the executive order on immigration signed by US President Donald Trump [official website] breaches international human rights obligations [press release]. The order [text], signed last Friday, bars all nationals from the Muslim-majority countries of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the US for the next 90 days. The UN experts said the order violates the principles of non-refoulement [UNHCR opinion], the practice of not forcing refugees or asylum seekers to return to a country in which they face persecution, and non-discrimination based on race, nationality or religion. According to the experts:
In the midst of the world's greatest migration crisis since World War II, this is a significant setback for those who are obviously in need of international protection. The US must live up to its international obligations and provide protection for those fleeing persecution and conflicts.
An estimated 50,000 refugees are unable to enter the US due to the order.
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