Overview

• The US State Department announced visa restrictions on current and former Thai officials responsible for deporting 40 Uyghurs to China on February 27, 2025.
• The Uyghurs, detained in Thailand for over a decade, were forcibly returned despite international warnings of potential torture and enforced disappearances in China.
• Thailand defended the deportation, stating it had received assurances from China regarding the safety of the deportees and plans to send a delegation to Xinjiang to monitor their welfare.
• The US policy aims to deter other governments from complying with China's pressure to repatriate Uyghurs, whom rights groups say face genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.
• The European Parliament also condemned the deportation, calling on Thailand to halt further forced returns and reform its human rights practices.