European diplomats have voiced their anger at President Donald Trump’s travel ban, continuing the global backlash.
The executive order, which tightens restrictions for citizens of seven countries, was signed on Friday.
“The EU strongly believes in a system that is based on international rules and norms, we full respect all individuals, regardless of their religion, of their ethnic background or their country, or nationality, or gender,” said Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief.
Mogherini was speaking in Brussels alongside the foreign minister of Norway, who hit out at the move to suspend admissions of refugees for four months.
“For us having a moratorium on receiving refugees for 120 days is nothing that we are even considering. this is not up to our standards,” said Borge Brende, Norway’s chief diplomat.
But EU observers say governments are on shaky ground, given the success of so-called populist parties in recent elections and opinion polls.
“I think Donald Trump knows all this and also knows that the EU is in a very weak footing when it criticses the American stance,” said Shada Islam of the think-tank Friends of Europe.
