United Nations
While Biden accused predecessor Donald Trump of racism, “xenophobia,” and other epithets last year for limiting travel from countries experiencing high numbers of Chinese coronavirus cases, Biden banned travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi last week while on an extended five-day
vacation in upscale Nantucket.
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“These restrictions are unjustified and unfairly discriminate against our country and our Southern African sister countries,” Ramaphosa continued, urging Biden and others to “urgently reverse” travel bans.
“The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant,” Ramaphosa asserted, citing the W.H.O.’s opposition to such bans.
Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, accused Biden and other leaders enacting travel bans of “Afrophobia” in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“[Chinese coronavirus] measures must be based on science, not Afrophobia,” Chakwera
wrote,
referring specifically to the travel bans by the United States and the West as “uncalled for.”
The W.H.O. regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti,
said in a statement this week that travel bans “place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods” and urged “scientifically based” policies, instead.
Prior to becoming president, Biden appeared to agree with these sentiments. Following Trump’s initial ban on travel from China in early 2020 to slow the spread of Chinese coronavirus, Biden ranted on Twitter that the policy
reflected “hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering.” Biden later accused Trump of enacting an “African Ban” explicitly “designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States.”
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