Citizens of foreign countries who want to immigrate to the US could face a visa denial because of their health conditions, including obesity, according to a US State Department directive issued as part of the administration’s tightening immigration policy. Donald Trump.
The new regulations, which significantly expand those already in place, are included in a memo sent earlier this month by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to US embassies and consulates around the world. Among the pathologies listed are obesity, diabetes or cancer that could require “the provision of care costing hundreds of thousands of dollars” according to the Donald Trump administration.
“You must take into account the state of health of the applicant,” says this note, which was first revealed by the specialist website KFF Health News and the content of which was confirmed by the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
It also asks embassies to assess whether dependents have “disabilities, chronic illnesses or other special needs and require care.”
The US is one of the most obese countries in the world, mainly due to diet and lack of physical exercise.
After returning to power in January, President Donald Trump made the fight against illegal immigration his top priority, but he also significantly tightened conditions for immigrants to enter the US.
In addition, the State Department revoked tens of thousands of people’s visas to enter the US, including for views deemed anti-American.
“It’s no secret that the Trump administration puts the interests of the American people first,” State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said in an email.
“This includes implementing policies aimed at guaranteeing that our immigration system is not a burden on American taxpayers,” he added.