The U.S. government is introducing a new visa restriction policy targeting some foreign nationals in South Africa, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. The policy applies to people responsible for or complicit in laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups. South Africa’s foreign ministry said it viewed the restrictions with concern and rejected what it called mischaracterizations of the country’s domestic policies. It urged Washington to resolve bilateral disputes through diplomatic engagement rather than unilateral measures. The affected individuals were not identified, while the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa said the restrictions were the first in a series of escalatory measures. Relations between the two governments have deteriorated since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, with the U.S. president criticizing South African policies designed to address racial inequality.