Fwd: Obama's Record on Deportations; Labor Migration from Myanmar | Migration Information Source, February 1, 2017
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Also in the Newsletter Have You Read? Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States Top 10 of 2016 – Issue #5: As Publics Fear Loss of National Identity, Far-Right Populist Movements Gain Strength The Impact of Mexican Maternal Migration on Children's Future Ambitions Keep up with the Source  SubscribeNot on the list? Continue receiving these updates by subscribing today. RSS Feed Follow MPI
Data and Analysis Related to Trump Administration Executive Orders on Immigrants and Refugees Resource Page The Refugee Resettlement Program Is an Unsuitable Target By Kathleen Newland and T. Alexander Aleinikoff Constrained by its Roots: How the Origins of the Global Asylum System Limit Contemporary Protection By Randall Hansen |
The Trump administration ended its first week with a bombshell executive order limiting refugee resettlement and barring travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. The wide-reaching order halts all refugee admissions for 120 days; bars entry into the United States for foreign nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days; and suspends admission of Syrian refugees indefinitely. The order's vague language and lack of advance coordination with U.S. government agencies led to chaos and confusion, with officials making contradictory statements regarding its application. Meanwhile, refugees and others—including lawful permanent residents of the United States—from the seven countries were detained at airports as they sought to enter the country, and outcry poured into the streets with protests in a number of cities. Thus far, one less-examined aspect has been the international response to the executive order, in particular the perceived U.S. retrenchment from its leadership role on humanitarian protection and the effect of the order on dual nationals. Amid confusion over the order's implementation, it was unclear whether dual nationals or others living abroad from those designated countries—such as an Australian-Iranian boy planning to attend space camp and a British-Somali Olympic champion returning home to the United States—would be caught in the ban. Leaders from Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom reached out to the Trump administration for clarification on this point, and were assured the ban would not be applied to their citizens. U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere were quick to either distance themselves or outright denounce the executive action. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has been among the most generous in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers, condemned the ban as "against the core idea of international aid for refugees and international cooperation." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau avoided directly criticizing the Trump order, but posted a series of tweets highlighting the differences between the two governments on immigration and admission of refugees. Canada also announced it will offer temporary residence to those stranded there by the ban. British Prime Minister Theresa May, the first foreign leader to meet with President Trump, released a statement saying that while she did "not agree" with the order, immigration was "a matter for the government of the United States." Response from several of the targeted countries has also been swift and harsh. Iran suggested it would limit visa issuance to American tourists in a measure of "counteraction," and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif slammed the move as "a great gift to extremists and their supporters." Iraq expressed "regret and astonishment" over the ban. As the implications of the executive order become clearer, more responses could surface, including reciprocal moves by other governments against U.S. travelers. Deemed a national-security imperative by the Trump administration, the order surely will have effects on perceptions of the United States internationally that could be long-lasting. Best regards,
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