Foreign officials who enable the forced return of Uyghurs and other ethnic or religious groups to China face visa restrictions in the United States, Sec. of State Marco Rubio announced Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio rolled out a new visa restriction policy today, targeting foreign officials who orchestrate or abet the forced return of Uyghurs and other vulnerable ethnic or religious groups to China.

The United States has imposed visa restrictions on Thai officials following the repatriation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand to China on February 27, 2025. The decision, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,

Human rights advocates say at least some of the eight ethnic minority Uyghurs who remain in Thailand’s custody since authorities deported 40 others to China last month are at risk of the same fate.

The Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU), a Uyghur advocacy group, has praised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for imposing visa restrictions on Thai officials involved in the forced repatriation of 40 Uyghurs to China.

Rubio says visa restrictions imposed on current, former Thai officials linked to deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand to China on Feb. 27 - Anadolu Ajansı

Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week.

The State Department said it was “combating China’s efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Friday against officials from Thailand, a U.S. ally, for their role in deporting at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where Washington says the members of the Muslim group will face persecution.