A passenger, holding his Palestinian passport, sits in a waiting room on the Jordanian side of the King Hussein Bridge, between the West Bank and Jordan, July 19, 2022. (Credit: AFP)
“It was a shock,” says Ismail over the phone. “The American decision has already disrupted my plans.”The young filmmaker from Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, had just began preparing for his trip to the United States to participate in a film festival when the U.S. State Department abruptly announced the suspension of visas for Palestinian passport holders.On Aug. 18, consular officers were instructed to systematically invoke Section 221 (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (1952) to deny all temporary visas to Palestinian citizens.“This covers every category of temporary visa — from student and tourist visas to medical and even work visas such as the H-1B for skilled workers,” said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute. Need the context? Visa denials: The...
“It was a shock,” says Ismail over the phone. “The American decision has already disrupted my plans.”The young filmmaker from Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, had just began preparing for his trip to the United States to participate in a film festival when the U.S. State Department abruptly announced the suspension of visas for Palestinian passport holders.On Aug. 18, consular officers were instructed to systematically invoke Section 221 (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (1952) to deny all temporary visas to Palestinian citizens.“This covers every category of temporary visa — from student and tourist visas to medical and even work visas such as the H-1B for skilled workers,” said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute. Need the context? Visa...
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles