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The U.S. Department of State has unveiled two new visa restriction policies aimed at combating the growing issue of wrongful, abusive, and unjust detentions worldwide.
This initiative seeks to hold individuals and governments accountable for using detention as a pretext for illegitimate purposes, including political repression, and will target those who violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of detainees.
The newly established policies empower the State Department to impose visa restrictions on individuals who engage in unjust detentions, including those who disproportionately target individuals based on nationality, as well as those who engage in acts that undermine the basic human rights of detainees.
Significantly, the visa restrictions may also extend to the immediate family members of those responsible for such acts.
The U.S. government’s commitment to these policies underscores its opposition to the abuse of human beings as tools of political leverage.
“Human beings should never be used as bargaining chips or subjected to abusive or unjust detention practices,” said a State Department spokesperson. “Such acts are an affront to the human rights of those detained and to their basic humanity.”
The announcement reaffirms the U.S. commitment to advocating for the release of individuals wrongfully detained around the world.
Since President Biden’s administration began, more than 50 unjustly detained Americans have been secured, with ongoing efforts to work in solidarity with international partners to free those still held unjustly.
These visa restriction policies are authorized under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and represent a critical component of the U.S. strategy to address this troubling global trend.
CThe Department of State is expected to use these new tools to encourage greater accountability and the protection of human rights globally.
