Argentina's President Milei introduces ban on 'hate speech' entry

Argentine President Javier Milei is introducing a new immigration policy that will deny entry or expel foreigners who engage in "hate speech" against Argentines and Argentina. The president announced the change via decree on Thursday, amending the immigration law to reflect this new stance. The decree is now provisionally in effect, pending confirmation from the national parliament.

"Anyone who attacks the Republic of Argentina is not welcome in our country," stated a release from the president's office. This move appears to be a response to perceived "anti-Argentine campaigns" that Milei has accused Brazil, Mexico, and U.S. Democrats of financing. His administration referenced online publications during the recent World Cup as a basis for these accusations.

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Anyone who attacks the Republic of Argentina is not welcome in our country.

The decree specifically targets "hate messages in oral or written form." Foreign nationals could face expulsion if they have "incited violence against the Argentine people or against an Argentine citizen, when nationality was the determining factor." Milei's administration emphasized that these penalties would not apply to expressions of "ideological differences, as well as political, scientific, or civil criticism," which are protected under the constitution.

This policy shift follows a recent diplomatic spat between Milei and Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom Milei had previously insulted. Milei, an avowed supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has also aligned himself with Jair Bolsonaro's son in Brazil's upcoming presidential election.

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incited violence against the Argentine people or against an Argentine citizen, when nationality was the determining factor.