Air France bans 15 passengers boarding planes to America saying they would be turned away under Donald Trump travel ban
AIR France has blocked 15 passengers from boarding flights to the US following President Donald Trump's travel ban.
Passengers were told they would be refused entry on arrival because they are citizens from seven blacklisted Muslim-majority countries.
The airline said it had no choice but to turn the travellers away after being informed of the new restrictions on Saturday, adding that other airlines "proceeded in the same manner".
A spokeswoman said that the 15 people were either taken back to where they set off from or otherwise dealt with.
Trump signed an order at the Pentagon on Friday halting entry to the US for travellers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen for three months.
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His action — an attempt to "weed out" Islamic terrorists sneaking into the country posing as immigrants or refugees — has been condemned by civil rights groups.
A refugee programme set up by President Obama to take in people fleeing the war in Syria has also been halted indefinitely.
While Air France has refused to reveal the names or nationalities of the 15 involved, a picture emerged on Sunday appearing to show an Air France notice listing some passengers bound for New York and directing them to speak to customer services.
Julia Vergely, a journalist, posted the picture taken at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris on Twitter, writing in French: "A notice seen departing for New York City".
Air France said the passengers were called for "usual commercial processing".
Hollywood stars protested against the executive order at the SAG Awards on Sunday night, while demonstrations have taken place across the US.
In the UK over a million people have signed a petition to block Trump from making a state visit later this year after Theresa May offered an invitation at a landmark meeting between the two leaders on Friday.
But the Government has so far rejected cancelling the invite. A Downing Street source told the BBC such a move would "undo everything" after what was considered a successful trip to the White House last week.
Trump has defended his "extreme vetting" order, insisting it is “not a Muslim ban” and that his predecessor did the same thing in 2011.
A White House statement read: "America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border.
"America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave.
"This is not about religion, this is about terror and keeping our country safe."
He also stressed that the seven countries targeted by his ban were also listed by Obama.
The previous US President paused the approval of refugee applications from Iraq for six months in 2011 after two Iraqi al-Qaeda terrorists were found living as refugees in Kentucky.
Obama's order selected Iraqi nationals based on geography and a specific event.
Mr Trump has also defended his move on Twitter.
He tweeted: "Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW.
"Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world - a horrible mess!"
A couple of hours later he posted: "Christians in the Middle-East have been executed in large numbers.
"We cannot allow this horror to continue!"
Q&A - Trump's travel ban
Which countries does the ban apply to and for how long? Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are blocked from entering the US for 90 days. All refugees are banned for 120 days and Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely.
Why has President Trump brought in the ban? He wants to step up “extreme vetting” in a bid to stop terrorists entering the US. His executive order was titled: “Protecting the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States.”
What if you are British and have dual nationality with one of the seven banned nations? If you are travelling from Britain as a UK dual national, there is no restriction on you entering the US. If you are travelling from one of the countries affected, you may experience extra checks if a dual national, but you are not banned.
What if I was born in one of the banned countries, or travelling to the US from there? If you are a UK national, the order still does not apply to you.
Haven’t US judges stopped the ban? Judges imposed a temporary stay on those detained at US airports — allowing them to enter the country. But the rulings only affected people who had already arrived in the US or were in flight when the executive order was signed. What power does an executive order have? An order made by the US President at the stroke of a pen, without having to seek the approval of Congress, has the force of law.
Who drew up the banning order? Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was asked by President Trump to draft up the order as a way of “legally” imposing a "Muslim ban". President Trump had promised a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US while running for the White House.
Will it become law? It remains to be seen what legal restrictions will be imposed after the 90-day and 120-day bans expire.
What is Britain’s position? PM Theresa May has ordered Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to raise concerns about the ban, leading to a clarification. Boris Johnson tweeted it was “divisive and wrong”.
The UK government was pressured into getting assurances from the Trump team over fears British citizens with dual nationalities with banned countries would be barred from entering.
Sir Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia, told last night he could safely return to his family in America after Boris Johnson received "clarification" from US officials.
The four-time Olympic champion also blasted The Donald’s reforms branding them “divisive and discriminatory”.
A spokesman for the long distance runner said: “We understand from the statement released this evening by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the executive order will not apply to Mo, and we are grateful to the FCO for urgently clarifying the situation.
“Mo is relieved that he will be able to return to his family once his current training camp concludes.”
However, dual-nationality citizens will still face further checks at the border.
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