President Donald Trump’s immigration ban has sparked mass protests at US airports, such as this demonstration at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on January 29, 2017/AFP-File
BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan 30 – The EU will ensure its citizens are not affected by any “discrimination” caused by US President Donald Trump’s ban on travellers from seven Muslim countries, a European Commission spokesman said Monday.
“Our lawyers are in contact with our EU partners and others, and of course we will make sure that no discrimination is inflicted on our nationals,” Margaritis Schinas, the spokesman for Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, told reporters.
“This is the European Union, and in the European Union we do not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race or religion, not only when it comes to asylum but in any of our policies.”
Trump’s measures, introduced by executive order just one week after he took office, have been criticised by allies.
Barring Syrian refugees indefinitely and citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, the measures also affect those with dual nationality.
Schinas said that the Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, was taking “measured time” to find out what the effect on European citizens would be.
“At this stage the situation is not clear, and we are in the process of establishing if the executive order has consequences for EU citizens having dual nationality with one of the seven countries which this travel ban is now targeting,” he said.
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