U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on Officials Involved in Forced Return of Uyghurs to China

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a new visa restriction policy targeting current and former foreign government officials implicated in the forced return of Uyghurs and other ethnic or religious minorities to China. The policy, effective immediately, aims to counter China’s efforts to pressure nations into deporting vulnerable groups back to China, where they face severe persecution, including torture and enforced disappearances.

This announcement is part of the United States’ broader commitment to confronting China’s documented acts of genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other minority groups. “We are committed to combating China’s efforts to pressure governments into forcibly returning Uyghurs and other groups to China,” Rubio said in a press statement released today.

As an initial step under this policy, the U.S. Department of State is imposing visa restrictions on current and former Thai government officials responsible for or complicit in the forced deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand to China on February 27, 2025.

The visa restrictions are authorized under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the State Department to bar entry to foreign officials involved in such actions, as well as certain family members of those individuals. The policy applies globally to officials who have played a role in returning Uyghurs or other protected groups to China against their will.

Rubio also issued a call to the international community, urging governments worldwide to refrain from forcibly repatriating Uyghurs and other at-risk groups to China, where their safety cannot be guaranteed. The move signals a stronger U.S. stance on protecting vulnerable populations and pressuring nations to resist China’s demands.

This development follows years of mounting evidence of China’s systematic oppression of Uyghurs, including mass detentions, forced labor, and cultural erasure in the Xinjiang region. Human rights organizations have long criticized countries that comply with China’s extradition requests, arguing that such actions violate international refugee protections.

The State Department has not yet released the names of the Thai officials targeted by the visa restrictions, but the policy is expected to expand as the U.S. identifies additional cases of forced returns.