Argentina's Leader Demands Deportation of Non-Citizens for Inciting Hatred During World Cup

On Thursday, Argentine President Javier Milei introduced a ban on foreigners who express hatred towards the country, claiming it is the target of a malicious campaign, and the measure is already in effect. The decree requires parliamentary approval to remain a law, despite being currently enforced.

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The emergency decree has raised doubts among experts regarding its legal feasibility, and it prohibits foreigners from spreading or inciting hate messages against Argentina or its people.

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In a statement, Milei explained that the measure is a response to recent displays of hostility against the Argentine republic and its citizens, which appears to be a reference to the public's reaction to Argentina's World Cup final loss to Spain.

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Milei had previously claimed on Sunday that leftist administrations in the Americas were leading an anti-Argentine campaign, and the decree follows these allegations.

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The measure explicitly states that it does not infringe upon constitutionally protected rights to express political, academic, or ideological disagreements.

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The decree has generated immediate backlash from opposition parties, with Leonel Chiarella, president of the centrist Radical Civic Union party, stating that the president's decree is unconstitutional.

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Chiarella argued that Argentina's Congress should expressly reject the decree, and opposition lawmaker Agustin Rossi compared the decree to the anti-immigration logic of US President Donald Trump.

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A legislative committee will review the urgency of the measure, which will then be examined by both deputies and senators, and can only be rejected if thrown out by both chambers.

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According to Lucia Galoppo, an international law specialist at the Center for Legal and Social Studies, the measure leaves too many grey areas and does not specify what constitutes hate speech or how it will be defined.

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Galoppo noted that the measure does not provide criteria for defining hate speech or identifying those who produce such speech, highlighting the ambiguity of the decree.

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The measure also runs counter to Argentina's history of immigration, which has one of the world's most lenient constitutions in this regard, according to sociologist Ivan Schuliaquer.

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Schuliaquer stated that Argentine history is rich in receiving immigrants from all over the world, and emphasized that the country is not anti-immigrant.

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He believes that Milei is taking advantage of a climate in society to capitalize on something that has not been part of his political project, and that the president is hurting over Argentina's World Cup loss and subsequent events.

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On Sunday, Milei lashed out at Brazil, Mexico, and the US Democratic Party, claiming they were part of an anti-Argentine campaign, apparently in reference to criticism of the national team's performance in the last match.

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Global football body FIFA is investigating the behavior of several Argentina players in the loss, including alleged assault and unsporting behavior, as well as an incident involving a banner that read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine).