Beyond the ban: Three Jordanians refused entry to the US

Demonstrators protest against Trump's executive immigration ban at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. (AFP/File)

A Jordanian citizen was reportedly denied entry into the US on Sunday and sent back to Jordan, although the Kingdom is not on the list of countries whose citizens are no longer welcome in the US under a presidential executive order, US news reports said.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, the man, who holds a Jordanian passport and was born in Syria, was denied entry through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The Sun-Times said the passenger, who holds a valid US visa, was visiting the US for the first time to visit his brother, who is a US citizen.

Commenting on the report, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sabah Al Rafie said three Jordanian citizens have been recently denied entry into the US.

She noted that the ministry, through the embassy in Washington and with the US embassy in Amman, is following up on the issue.

However, Rafie told The Jordan Times the three were not allowed to enter the US due to visa issues, stressing that the incidents are "not connected in any way" to the executive order signed on Friday by US President Donald Trump banning the entry of citizens from seven Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Hundreds of Jordanians have entered the US since the order, the spokesperson added.

Trump's executive order also suspends the arrival of refugees for at least three months.

HH Prince Zeid, the UN human rights chief, on Monday said the move is discrimination based on nationality.

"Discrimination on nationality alone is forbidden under human rights law," Prince Zeid said on Twitter, adding that "the US ban is also mean-spirited and wastes resources needed for proper counterterrorism".

Khetam Malkawi