Trump Halts Immigration from ‘Third World’ Countries in Controversial Move
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a permanent halt to immigration and asylum applications from countries he referred to as the “Third World.” During a recent speech held among his supporters, Trump identified Afghanistan, Haiti, and Somalia as being among the nations subject to this ban and used derogatory language to describe them.
According to Trump, the U.S. has also suspended immigration from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen, as part of the same policy. He stated that the decision was made to protect American interests, and pointed to European nations like Norway and Sweden as better options for accepting immigrants.
Human Rights Watch has criticized the Trump administration’s new immigration policy, arguing that it is not grounded in security assessments but rather motivated by political and discriminatory intentions. The organization warned that such actions threaten the global framework for refugee protection and reveal clear elements of racism.
Reports indicate that the decision followed an incident in Washington, D.C. in November, where, according to U.S. officials, an Afghan asylum seeker was involved in a confrontation with two National Guard soldiers, resulting in the death of one. The event prompted a vehement response from Trump, who vowed to permanently end immigration from all so-called “Third World” countries.
Tanya Green, the U.S. Program Director at Human Rights Watch, also condemned the decision, stating that there is no meaningful connection among the targeted countries other than the fact that their citizens are being stigmatized based on their place of birth. She emphasized that such policies not only contravene human rights standards but also have far-reaching humanitarian consequences for millions.
