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UNITED NATIONS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Tuesday voiced his concern about the new U.S. rules, known as the Executive Order signed on Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump, stressing the need to protect people fleeing deadly violence.
"Following the signing of the new Executive Order on U.S. refugee resettlement, UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) has underscored that refugees are ordinary people forced to flee war, violence and persecution in their home countries and are in urgent need of life-saving assistance and protection," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, quoting Grandi as saying at a daily news briefing.
Commenting on the Executive Order, Grandi said that "the imperative remains to provide protection for people fleeing deadly violence, and we are concerned that this decision, though temporary, may compound the anguish for those it affects."
"UNHCR says it is ready to engage constructively with the U.S. Administration to ensure all refugee programs meet the highest standards for safety and security," Haq said.
The new executive order prevents nationals of six Muslim countries from entering the United States, excluding Iraq from the list of a previous ban.
The new document maintained a 90-day ban on nationals of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Iran and Somalia from entering the United States, effective from March 16.
In addition to the travel ban, the order also suspended granting refugee status for 120 days after the effective date. Syrian refugees, which were singled out in the original version as being banned indefinitely, will be given the same treatment with refugees of other origins.
Trump signed a similar executive order on Jan. 27, which imposed a ban on nationals of seven Muslim countries to enter the United States for 90 days, refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely.
A federal judge of the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington later slapped a nationwide restraining order on the travel ban, and the ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
