LunagisthubUS Imposes Visa Restrictions on Perpetrators of Violence in Nigeria
The United States Department of State has announced new measures to address violence against Christians in Nigeria and other countries. According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the policy targets radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other actors responsible for killings and attacks on religious communities
The new policy, under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allows the State Department to restrict visas for individuals who have “directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom” and their immediate family members
The announcement follows a briefing by US House Republicans, highlighting rising religious violence in Nigeria. President Donald Trump had instructed the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the slaughter of Christians in the country. The US House Subcommittee on Africa had also opened a public hearing to review Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern
The move is part of a broader push by the US to address what it considers a pattern of persecution in several regions. The designation could pave the way for sanctions against Nigerian officials found complicit in religious persecution
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