PRESIDENT Donald Trump has added Nigeria to the list of nations on partial entry restrictions to the United States in a new measure targeted at “protecting the security of the United States.”
A new Proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday says that President Trump added Nigeria and 14 other nations to the list of countries partially restricted from entering the U.S., which also include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
On the reason for including Nigeria to the list, the Proclamation says, “Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties. According to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent.”
The Proclamation continues the full restrictions and entry limitations of nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries established under Proclamation 10949. These high-risk nations, according to the Proclamation, include: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The Proclamation adds full restrictions and entry limitations on 5 additional countries based on recent analysis. These nations include: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
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“It also adds full restrictions and entry limitations on individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. It imposes full restrictions and entry limitations on 2 countries that were previously subject to partial restrictions: Laos and Sierra Leone,” the White House factsheet shows.
It also continues partial restrictions of nationals from 4 of the 7 original high-risk countries: Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.
“Because Turkmenistan has engaged productively with the United States and demonstrated significant progress since the previous Proclamation, this new Proclamation lifts the ban on its nonimmigrant visas, while maintaining the suspension of entry for Turkmen nationals as immigrants,” the Proclamation factsheet shows.
“The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests,” the factsheet says.
“The Proclamation narrows broad family-based immigrant visa carve-outs that carry demonstrated fraud risks, while preserving case-by-case waivers.”
Protecting the U.S.
The factsheet says that restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.
The Proclamation states that it is the president’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.
“After consulting with cabinet officials and in light of the original report pursuant to Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and country-specific information gathered since, President Trump has determined that the entry of nationals from additional countries must be restricted or limited to protect U.S. national security and public safety interests.
“The restrictions are country-specific in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances. Many of the restricted countries suffer from widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems—systemically preventing accurate vetting.”
The Proclamation further says that some nations refuse to share passport exemplars or law-enforcement data, while others permit Citizenship-by-Investment schemes that conceal identity and bypass vetting requirements and travel restrictions.
It further notes that some countries’ high visa-overstay rates and refusal to repatriate removable nationals demonstrate disregard for U.S. immigration laws and burden American enforcement resources.
“Terrorist presence, criminal activity, and extremist activity in several listed countries result in a general lack of stability and government control—which causes deficient vetting capabilities and poses direct risks to American citizens and interests when nationals from these countries are admitted to the United States.”
Trump mulls more sanctions
President Trump has received the report from Appropriations Committee Chairman, Mr Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), and Mr Riley Moore (R-West Virginia), whom he sent to Nigeria to investigate what he describes as ‘Christian genocide.’
READ ALSO: Panic in United States as Trump cancels Nigerian students’ visas
Mr Trump claims there is Christian genocide in Nigeria and the government isn’t doing much to prevent it. In early November, he took two decisive decisions against Nigeria. He first redesignated Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ and followed it up with a threat to cut off aid and invade the nation to “wipe out Islamic terrorists,” Economy Post had reported.
Economy Post learnt that President Trump might impose sanctions on individuals he feels that promote hatred against Christians in Nigeria and those siphoning public funds. He believes, according to sources, that stolen funds are used to promote terrorism in Nigeria.
He may also impose sanctions on certain religious leaders in Nigeria, including politicians with unexplained wealth.
