The United States has announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals it says are involved in implementing or supporting policies linked to uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination and the incitement of imminent violence against minority groups in South Africa.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measure in a statement on Tuesday, saying the policy was introduced under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
According to Rubio, the decision follows what the U.S. describes as South Africa’s failure to address concerns previously raised under President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14204, titled “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa.”
The U.S. government said it remains concerned about what it described as government-sponsored discrimination against Afrikaners and other minority populations, including race-based legislation, proposed land expropriation without compensation, and rhetoric that it says incites racial violence.
READ ALSO: Make Them Available — Obi Gives UNN Nod to Release His Degree, Admission Records
Under the new policy, individuals deemed responsible for or complicit in the enactment or implementation of such laws or policies may be denied entry into the United States.
Rubio added that certain family members of affected individuals could also face visa restrictions.
“The United States will not allow such behavior to go unchecked,” Rubio said, arguing that the actions cited by Washington undermine peace, economic stability and the rule of law.
He urged the South African government to address the issues raised by the United States.
The visa restrictions are based on a provision of U.S. immigration law that allows the Secretary of State to deny entry to foreign nationals whose admission is considered capable of having potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.
The announcement adds to ongoing tensions between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s domestic policies, particularly the country’s land reform programme, which has attracted international debate over property rights and racial equity.
