On Monday 30 January, the European Commission said it would study the impact on European nationals of US President Donald Trump's immigration ban signed on 27 January. It also said it would check that no European citizen suffered discrimination after this measure that is supposed to last for three months.
"Our lawyers are in contact with our European partners and others, and we will check that no discrimination is inflicted on our citizens", Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas stated.
The consequences for European nationals are not yet clear, Schinas said, but the subject is due to be on the agenda of the college of European commissioners on Wednesday 1 February. It is also likely that the European leaders will discuss their relationship with the new US administration when they meet in Malta on Friday 3 February.
"This is the European Union. And in the EU, we do not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race or religion – not only with regard to asylum, but in any of our policies", Schinas said on behalf of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Trump's ban forbids the entry into the US of all nationals, including refugees, from seven Muslim countries – among which are Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia and Libya. His ban has resulted in airlines, particularly those from Europe, forbidding several people concerned access to their aircraft. Trump promised on Sunday that US visas would be issued for these countries again in 90 days. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)