International press freedom organisation, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), has expressed concern over the adverse effect that the proposed visa restrictions under United States President Donald Trump would have on journalism and press freedom.

RWB’s executive director, Clayton Weimers, warned that the recent proposal to introduce a fixed term of visa stay for journalists by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “could force hundreds of journalists to leave the country, robbing both American and international audiences of vital coverage of the United States.”

“Foreign journalists can’t constantly be looking over their shoulders, fearing deportation in retaliation for a story they reported that the U.S. government doesn’t like. This policy could force hundreds of journalists to leave the country, robbing both American and international audiences of vital coverage of the United States,” Mr Weimers said in a statement last Wednesday.

The director stated that the visa restriction policy by Mr Trump’s administration falls short of democratic expectations.

“It serves no purpose other than to create new barriers to journalism, and it’s closer to what we expect from the Chinese Communist Party than from the nation of the First Amendment. The arbitrary non-renewal of visas for journalists is a common tactic used by authoritarian regimes to expel reliable reporters,” Mr Weimers noted.

Earlier, in August, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposal to introduce fixed visa terms for foreign journalists who work and reside in the United States.

Currently, visa models used by practicing journalists in the United States last indefinitely, as long as holders comply with certain terms.

Under the new proposed system, visas for foreign journalists would be restricted to 240 days, while Chinese nationals would get a 90-day restriction.

The media organisation stressed that the change would create an undue burden for journalists, as practitioners would repeatedly face bureaucratic hurdles every seven months, creating a great deal of uncertainty.

It added that the policy also exposes foreign journalists to “high potential for abuse, as the Trump administration systematically punishes journalists and news outlets that criticise its policies.”