Justice

How the World Is Reacting to President Trump's Refugee Ban

January 28th 2017

President Donald Trump’s actions in temporarily banning the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations while also ending the resettlement program for Syrian refugees have prompted strong reactions from some world leaders and governments.

One country included in that ban, Iran, has said that they will ban citizens of the United States from entering their country in response.

"Despite the claims of combating terrorism and keeping American people safe, it will be recorded in history as a big gift to extremists and their supporters,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Other countries included in Trump’s ban include Libya, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The order has already threatened the residency of approximately 500,000 legal U.S. residents.

Without referencing Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau out a picture of himself welcoming Syrian refugees into his nation with the hashtag #WelcomeToCanada. Although the two have previously been on the same page on some matters, including their desires to complete the Keystone XL pipeline, Trudeau has made a point of differentiating himself from Trump on the issue of immigration.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon echoed Trudeau's sentiment.

She tweeted that the two countries "have deep friendship built on values. We must all speak up for those values — tolerance, equality refuge for those in need."

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said she was "Deeply concerned about US decision not to allow entry of people from certain countries. Creates mistrust between people."

Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs also weighed in, tweeting that the United States had the responsibility to protect people who are on the run. 

We will update this story as new responses come in. 

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