US President Donald Trump's announcement of a halt to immigration from developing countries to the United States sparked a wave of controversy within those countries. Immigration experts believe that Moroccans who dream of entering the United States through legal channels, such as the Diversity Visa Lottery, are at risk of being barred if Trump's threat is implemented.

In what resembled “collective punishment,” Trump decided to take this step, in addition to expelling anyone who does not adhere to Western civilization from his country, and taking additional measures, after a person from Afghanistan attacked the US National Guard with a gunshot, resulting in the death of one member.

Hassan Bentaleb, a researcher specializing in immigration and asylum issues, said that “the recent decision to permanently ban immigration from Third World countries is illogical and incomprehensible, and its true motives and reasons are difficult to understand.” He added: “What Trump is doing is a kind of appeasement of voters, especially those belonging to the extreme right.”

Bentaleb added to Hespress that “the United States is one of the largest recipients of immigration, as it attracts a large number of immigrants from different parts of the world, and American companies attract talents to a very large extent,” noting that “the wealth of the United States of America and its development in fields such as inventions and creativity is primarily due to the fact that it is a country of immigration and immigrants.”

The same spokesperson continued: “The decision is expected to have repercussions for a range of people, whether they are immigrating through the lottery, employment contracts, or family reunification. It should be noted that the dynamics of American civil society and the reactions of those affected will play a role in responding to these decisions. The legal factor is also very important in the United States as a country of institutions and the rule of law, as the judiciary often rules in favor of immigrants.”

The same researcher added: “Such decisions are likely to continue until the end of Trump’s term, pending the inauguration of a new president or a ruling from the Supreme Court. The US Diversity Visa Lottery is expected to be affected by this downturn, given that immigrant labor, especially undocumented workers, plays a significant role in the US economy. There will be repercussions, but the entire system will not be reconsidered, and these decisions will not necessarily last.”

For his part, Abdelhamid Jamour, a researcher specializing in South-South migration and development, believes that the recent announcement by President Trump’s administration of a permanent freeze on immigration and a halt to receiving immigrants, especially from Third World countries, to which Morocco belongs as a developing country, “is a decision with serious repercussions.”

Jamour added to Hespress that if this decision is implemented in practice, it means closing the doors to Moroccans and other citizens of developing countries, and this raises concerns about international justice and human rights.

The same spokesperson considered that “this decision is collective punishment, whether in immigration cases or others, and this is not right at the international level; international legal principles and human rights do not allow punishing an entire group because of the actions of individuals, such as deporting all legal immigrants because of the actions of one illegal immigrant, as this is contrary to justice, democratic values and human rights.”

According to the same researcher, these decisions carry “four levels of negative effects: first, burdening innocent people with the sins of individuals who have no connection to them; second, halting the dreams of thousands of unemployed youth in developing countries; third, opening the door to hate speech and discrimination based on geographical or ethnic origin; and fourth, failing to address the root causes of security and social problems and increasing tension and resentment.”

From a humanitarian perspective, Jamour stressed that “immigration is not a crime, but rather a search for a better life,” adding: “Historically, immigrants have contributed to building the United States of America economically, scientifically and culturally, and punishing them as a whole contradicts the principles of freedom upon which America was founded.”