WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has introduced a controversial directive barring obese foreigners and people with diabetes from receiving a US visa.
Under the new policy, visa officers have been instructed to deny applications from individuals who might qualify for public benefits, part of Trump’s broader hard-line stance on immigration.
A cable sent to US embassies classifies people with obesity or diabetes as a potential “public charge”, according to US media reports.
The directive stated: “You must consider an applicant’s health. Certain medical conditions — including cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, neurological diseases, cancers, diabetes, and mental health disorders — can require hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care.”
This announcement came soon after Trump’s televised address from the Oval Office, where he revealed a deal with the makers of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, which he once called “the fat shot drug.”
The president expressed his excitement over achieving what he called “tremendous cuts” in drug prices for Americans covered under Medicare and Medicaid.
After announcing the figures, he turned to the audience and quipped, “Did I do a good job?”
All immigrants and refugees applying to enter the US are already required to undergo a medical examination. The new directive, however, expands that requirement.