CAIRO — British Prime Minister Theresa May says President Trump’s refugee ban is “divisive and wrong” — four days after she insisted it was a matter for the U.S. government.
Trump’s ban on citizens of seven majority Muslim nations entering the U.S. for 90 days — and all refugees for 120 days — has sparked protests in Britain, along with calls for Trump’s state visit later this year to be scrapped.
Asked about the travel ban at a news conference in Turkey on Saturday, May said that “the United States is responsible for the United States’ policy on refugees.”
But today she told lawmakers in the House of Commons that “this government is clear that that policy is wrong. We wouldn’t do it ... We believe it is divisive and wrong.”
Meanwhile, five U.N. human rights experts said President Trump’s order violates U.S. obligations on human rights.
The five, who are commissioned by the United Nations, said in a statement issued in Geneva today that Trump’s executive order signed last week is “clearly discriminatory” and leads to greater stigmatization of Muslims.
The order bars nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from U.S. entry for 90 days.
The five U.N. special rapporteurs are François Crépeau on migrants; Mutuma Ruteere on racism; Ben Emmerson on human rights and counter-terrorism; Nils Melzer on torture and Ahmed Shaheed on freedom of religion.
They cited U.S. obligations to protect the principles of “non-refoulement” — or not chasing away people who have a right to protection — and nondiscrimination based on race, nationality or religion.
They said the United States’ responsibility “must extend to offering refuge” to people fleeing Iraq and Syria, citing U.S. participation in conflicts in those countries.
But the United Arab Emirates’ top diplomat has come out in defense of the ban.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said today that the United States was within its rights to take what he said was a “sovereign decision” concerning immigration.
He says he does not believe the move was based on religion, and noted that the majority of the world’s Muslim-majority countries were not covered by the order.
Sheikh Abdullah spoke following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Abu Dhabi.
The Emirates is one of the United States’ closest Arab allies. It is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group and hosts American troops and warplanes taking part.
First Published February 1, 2017, 1:05 p.m.
