The administration of United States President Donald Trump has addressed concerns surrounding the proposed U.S. visa ban on Nigerians and citizens of 35 other countries.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, during a press conference, emphasized that the policy is not a blanket travel restriction but a targeted visa review aimed at bolstering U.S. national security.
Bruce clarified that the initiative is contained in Executive Order 14161 and is seeking to enforce stricter scrutiny of visa applicants to safeguard public safety.
She also stressed that the geography is not a factor in the decision-making process.
She stated: “The continent or location of a country is not a consideration. This is about whether we can trust the visa information provided by each country.
“They will have a considerable amount of time to rectify whatever the situation is.
“The goal is to reach a point where we can trust the process and the information provided by these countries. That’s how we determine visa eligibility.”
This announcement comes amid rising tensions and diplomatic concerns over visa ban on Nigerians and nationals of 35 countries.
The affected nations face a 60-day deadline to meet stringent new security and identity verification benchmarks.
This development comes after a leaked memo unveiled a sweeping travel ban on several countries.
The draft list includes 25 African nations such as Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Other countries on the list include Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Bhutan, Cambodia, Syria, and Tonga.
