The Trump administration has announced new standards for which foreign students must reveal the content of their social networks before they receive an educational or exchange visa.
American diplomats must investigate their profiles to “detect”hostility“On the way to the US, including criticism of its culture, government or fundamental principles, as it refers The guardian.
The measure, officially revealed this Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairsinfluences Visa F“ M And Jthat relate to academic, vocational training and cultural fairs.
Those who refuse to facilitate access to their networks are considered suspected of hiding relevant information, according to the new internal guideline that is distributed to embassies and consulates.
“It is an expectation of American citizens that their government is doing everything it can Keep the country safe. That is exactly what the Trump administration does every day, “justified a high position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the Republican Senator Marco Rubio He contributed “to our universities safer”, in reference to their support for these measures.
Diplomats must perform a detailed analysis of the online presence of each applicant, Looking for support signals Terrorist organizationshatred, and specific, anti -semitic content.
This latter instruction coincides with the criteria used by the Citizenship and immigration servicesAnd has been criticized because he tries to silence those who oppose the Israeli offensive in Gaza against the Israeli offensive.
Civil and academic rights defending organizations have warned that the use of the term “Anti -Semitism“It could serve as an excuse to refuse visas to those who simply express their rejection of the policy of the Israeli government.
Different experts see a deliberate attempt in this movement Converting ideological surveillance into a diplomatic tool.
Moreover, the internal document has been obtained by Politics Instruction of consular officials to report all the content that demonstrated “Support or assistance with foreign terrorists or national security threats“
This can even cover critical publications with American foreign policy to virtual requests.
At the end of last month, the Trump administration had paralyzed the issue of new educational visas and at the same time studied strategies to intensify control of social networks.
In particular supervision of Chinese studentsin the middle of a commercial dispute for access to Rare earths and other strategic materials.
With the new guide, interview programming for educational and exchange visa has resumed, but under a much strict framework.
From now on, All applicants must change the privacy configuration of their networks and make their profiles public during the process.
“The new network evaluation system will ensure that we correctly filter every person who tries to come in our country,” explains an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The hardening of immigration control, framed in the Donald Trump Re -election campaign, represents a different step in the use of the diplomatic device as a national security tool.
At the same time, it opens a new chapter in the debate about the Freedom From those who want to study in American universities, and their right to comment without fear of diplomatic reprisals.
