United States government has defended the recent indiscriminate visa revocations affecting Nigerians with valid U.S visas, saying the move was borne out of the need to uphold the country’s national security and guarantee the safety of its citizens.
This is even as the US Embassy in Nigeria yesterday issued an updated security alert, warning its citizens in Nigeria against travels to military and government facilities, especially in Abuja.
It had emerged earlier in the week that the US Embassy in Nigeria had embarked on revocation of valid visas previously issued to Nigerian citizens.
Affected individuals included students, business professionals, and frequent travelers and families, who were informed of the cancellations without prior notice.
Former NNPC spokesperson, Femi Soneye, who raised the alarm, said several Nigerians had reached out to him to complain about the cancellations, stressing that they came without any form of warning.
“In recent weeks, an unsettling trend has quietly unfolded: the United States Embassy in Nigeria has begun revoking valid visas previously issued to Nigerian citizens. This is not rumour or speculation. Dozens of affected Nigerians, professionals, entrepreneurs, and frequent travelers have received formal letters instructing them to submit their passports at the consulate in Lagos or Abuja, only to have their visas unceremoniously cancelled,” Soneye said.
However, responding to the reports, the U.S. Embassy argued that the process was a security measure that falls within its legal mandate, adding that it had invoked the legal mandates under the U.S Immigration and Nationality Act, INA, empowering it to revoke visas linked to potential ineligibilities.
Speaking to BBC News Pidgin, a spokesperson for the Embassy said the revocations were being carried out on “a scale never seen before” as part of efforts to secure America’s borders.
Citing Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the spokesperson noted that both the Secretary of State and consular officers are empowered to revoke visas at any time if there is “indication of a potential ineligibility.”
“We use all the information we get to do this in a scale never seen before in order to kep American borders secure and American communities safe,” the Embassy said.
“The Trump administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. Prohibiting entry to the United States by those who may pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is key to protecting U.S. citizens at home.
“Under the Trump administration, the State Department is revoking visas in cases where a foreign visitor, including foreign students, have overstayed their lawful period of admission, engage in criminal activity, provided material support to a terrorist organisation or otherwise, violated US laws,” it added.
The US had announced social media checks for visa applicants as part of the criteria for qualification for visa issuance.
