On Tuesday 31 January, a comment was posted on the Amnesty International Australia Facebook page regarding travel restrictions on Israeli passport-holders. The comment did not reflect Amnesty International’s position on this issue, and as such we would like to apologise for any misunderstanding this comment has caused.
To clarify our position:
Freedom of movement is a fundamental human right. No person should be denied their human rights on the basis of their nationality.
Amnesty International is opposed to any ban on entry to a country purely on the basis of nationality or religious belief. Naturally this includes any restrictions on entry for Israeli citizens. We note that these kinds of restrictions have had a negative impact on the ability of our staff and our partners to research and report on human rights violations across the region.
Amnesty International is also concerned by any ban that specifically targets refugees or prevents vulnerable people from reaching safety – as we have seen this past week in the United States. We will continue to stand together with the global community to oppose hateful anti-refugee laws and policies.
