The United States has announced a visa ban targeting individuals responsible for, or complicit in, violations of religious freedom, a measure that could also extend to their immediate family members.
In a statement released Wednesday titled “Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally,”the U.S. Department of State said the restrictions are part of decisive action against widespread attacks on Christians carried out by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and around the world.
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The move underscores Washington’s commitment to holding perpetrators of religious persecution accountable while signaling a firm stance against global anti-Christian violence.
The statement said: “A new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to restrict visa issuance to individuals who have directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom and, where appropriate, their immediate family members.
“As President Trump made clear, the ‘United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.’ This policy will apply to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.”
