Was it because he was born in Iran? Or because he wanted to build a “progressive international,” an alliance to counter “the rise of reactionary neofascism”? On Tuesday, June 17, a French MP, Pouria Amirshahi, learned that he had been banned from entering the United States, where he had planned to go and meet with lawmakers, civil society figures, and intellectuals.
“This is the first time in 240 years of relations between our two countries that a parlementarian has been refused entry to the United States,” said Amirshahi, expressing indignation and concern over the reasons behind the decision to ban him. The Green MP had, moreover, previously traveled to the US three times between 2000 and 2013: first as a tourist, then as a cultural director and national secretary of the Parti Socialiste, and finally, during his last term as an MP, when he was still a Socialist.
The situation seemed problematic from the start: First, his application for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), the standard online authorization required for entering the US, was denied. He then tried to go through the standard visa application process. At the US embassy, he explained the reason for his trip: To observe what had changed since Donald Trump was elected president, by meeting several local stakeholders.
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