The United States has introduced a visa restriction targeting individuals accused of orchestrating, endorsing, or aiding violations of religious freedom. The measure may also extend to their close relatives.
In a statement released yesterday and titled “Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally,” the U.S. Department of State said Washington was taking firm action in response to widespread killings and assaults on Christians by extremist groups, ethnic militias, and other violent actors operating in Nigeria and elsewhere.
However, the statement did not specify the names of those affected. It noted: “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.”
It added: “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.”
Last month, President Trump named Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over claims of anti-Christian persecution, a position rejected by the Federal Government and many Nigerians.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, insisted the Nigerian government is not complicit in insurgent activities. He stressed that criminal groups attacking citizens do not discriminate by religion.
A Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met U.S. officials to present evidence countering claims of religious persecution. The government has also intensified measures to fight insurgents, including changes in the military leadership to strengthen operations.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken personal charge as Commander-in-Chief, cancelling his planned attendance at the G20 Summit in South Africa and the AU-EU Summit in Angola to focus on the security crisis.
Yesterday, leaders of the U.S. House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees held a rare joint briefing as part of a wider congressional probe into what American lawmakers and experts described as rising and targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
The session, chaired by Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee head Mario Díaz-Balart, followed a detailed report ordered by President Donald Trump on killings of Christians and possible policy actions the U.S. could adopt to pressure Nigeria.
Trump had instructed Congress, led by Rep. Riley Moore and Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, to investigate allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria and prepare a report for White House consideration. He also ordered military steps against religious militants responsible for killings.
Vicky Hartzler, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, informed lawmakers that “religious freedom [is] under siege,” referencing the abduction of over 300 children and attacks in which “radical Muslims kill entire Christian villages [and] burn churches.”
She said such violations were “rampant,” “violent,” and disproportionately targeted Christians “at a 2.2 to 1 rate” compared to Muslims.
Hartzler acknowledged Nigeria’s recent reforms, including the reassignment of 100,000 police officers previously attached to VIP protection, but cautioned that the nation was entering “a coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence.”
She urged the adoption of targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials “who have demonstrated complicity,” including visa bans, freezing of U.S.-based assets, and attaching conditions to U.S. aid based on measurable reforms.
Hartzler also called on Congress to instruct the Government Accountability Office to evaluate past U.S. assistance and advised that Nigeria should reclaim occupied villages so widows and children can safely return.
