The U.S. State Department kept roughly one-quarter of visa bans imposed on foreign officials accused of corruption or serious human rights abuses confidential between 2020 and 2024, according to a new analysis by Human Rights First.
The findings are based on previously undisclosed data released in response to a request from former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, who sought information about the implementation of Section 7031(c), a sanctions mechanism that bars foreign government officials and their immediate family members from entering the United States when there is credible information linking them to significant corruption or gross human rights violations.
According to the report, the State Department imposed 119 confidential visa bans during the four-year period, compared with 367 public designations. While most sanctions were announced publicly, confidential cases still accounted for a significant share of the program’s overall activity.
The analysis found that visa bans related to human rights abuses were far more likely to remain confidential than those linked to corruption. By contrast, corruption-related designations were significantly more likely to be made public.
Regional disparities were also evident. Visa bans involving officials from East Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East and North Africa were more likely to be kept confidential than those involving individuals from Europe, Eurasia, or the Western Hemisphere. The report suggests that diplomatic sensitivities and regional political considerations may influence disclosure decisions.
Human Rights First argues that excessive secrecy undermines accountability efforts by civil society organizations and limits public oversight of how U.S. sanctions laws are enforced. The group called on Congress to require annual public reporting of aggregate data on confidential visa bans, enabling lawmakers and the public to better monitor trends and implementation practices.
The report also notes that the State Department granted dozens of waivers during the period, allowing certain individuals otherwise subject to sanctions to enter the United States under what officials described as a “compelling national interest.” Most of those waivers involved cases related to human rights abuses rather than corruption.
Section 7031(c) has become one of Washington’s key foreign policy tools for targeting corruption and human rights violations worldwide. In the Western Balkans and other regions, individuals sanctioned under the provision are often informally referred to as being declared “persona non grata,” although the measure specifically concerns U.S. visa eligibility rather than diplomatic status.
Human Rights First said greater transparency would strengthen the credibility of the sanctions regime and help ensure that powerful accountability mechanisms are subject to meaningful public scrutiny.