Many world leaders are coming out in force against President Donald Trump’s executive order which bans people from certain countries from entering the United States. Some of our closest allies are decrying the move as not being in the character of the United States.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with Trump on Saturday for the first time since he became President. A spokesman from Merkel then released this statement regarding Trump’s ban on visitors from seven Middle Eastern countries:
“The Chancellor regrets the US government’s entry ban against refugees and citizens of certain countries. She is convinced that even the necessary, resolute fight against terrorism doesn’t justify putting people of a particular origin or particular faith under general suspicion. The Geneva Refugee Convention requires the international community to take in refugees from war on humanitarian grounds. All signatory states are expected to do so. The Chancellor explained this policy to the US President in their call yesterday.”
Other world leaders have come out against Trump’s ban. Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, had this to say after news of the ban reached his desk:
To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 28, 2017
Even several British leaders, including conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, have spoken out against Trump’s executive order. May released the following statement after returning from a state visit to Turkey:
“Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States, just the same as immigration policy for this country should be set by our government. But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking.”
Even members of the British Parliament decided to weigh in, especially after it was revealed that the order would ban Nadhim Zahawi, a British citizen who was born in Baghdad and is a conservative member of Parliament, from entering the United States:
I'm a British citizen & so proud to have been welcomed to this country. Sad to hear ill be banned from the USA based on my country of birth
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) January 28, 2017
MP Heidi Allen put further pressure on May to condemn Trump’s actions:
Strong leadership means not being afraid to tell someone powerful when they're wrong. It's an ethos this country is proud of @theresa_may
— Heidi Allen (@heidiallen75) January 28, 2017
And MP David Warburton minced no words, calling Trump’s move “astonishingly dumb:”
When you do something astonishingly dumb, your closest friends need to tell you. That's what special relationships are for.
— David Warburton MP (@DJWarburton) January 28, 2017
It seems doubtful that the international backlash will change Trump’s policy. But maybe, just maybe, the powerful voices in the international community can limit the amount of worldwide embarrassment Donald Trump is causing the United States.
Featured Image via Olaf Kasinsky /Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
