US reviews visa restrictions on Nigerians as FG meets 90% compliance

The United States is reviewing some categories of migrant visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians early this year as the Nigerian government said it has met 90 percent compliance level in information sharing on lost and stolen travel documents and other security concerns.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Sulaiman, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen at the end of the inaugural meeting of the U.S/Nigeria Forum, the platform which both countries use to improve on bilateral relations and address common concerns.

Nigeria and five other countries were slammed with the visa restrictions by US President Donald Trump on January 31, but Sulaiman said that Nigeria has accomplished almost 90 percent of the requirements by the US government which led to the ban.

He said the Nigerian government has put a lot of efforts in meeting the requirements which was why the US government is reevaluating the country.

“We have accomplished so much within a very difficult year, but essentially we want to acknowledge and put on record Nigeria’s response to the concerns by the United States government in respect of the immigrant visa restriction that was imposed on Nigerians,” Sulaiman said.

“I want to say that we appreciate the acknowledgement and the commendations from the United States government in respect of this response. From the assessment of the recipient of our response, I think we have accomplished almost 90 percent of the requirements that has been established in that regard.

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“And I am sure that if you follow the information that has been passed on the level of compliance, for instance, sharing of information, we have done so much in that regard. That is why I believe the US government is having the comfort to even reevaluate otherwise, we wouldn’t have been candidates for reevaluation.

“If we have to rate ourselves, from what has been done so far, we should be about 90 per cent complaint. The consular forum was agreed on earlier in the year during the Bi-National Commission of the United States and Nigeria which was held in Washington January, February and that agreement is what is coming to push now.

“We have just had the maiden consular forum meeting today and I want to put it on record that it has been a very successful meeting with various issues that were discussed,” he said

Sulaiman lauded all stakeholders that have worked towards Nigeria earning the commendations and the need for a reevaluation especially the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the US Embassy in Nigeria.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, while making her remarks, commended Nigeria on the progress made in information sharing and other concerns raised by the US government which led to the ban.

The US envoy explained that the Presidential Proclamation enjoins the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to prepare a report addressing the measures that have been taken which is then submitted to the White House for reevaluation.

She said that contrary to reports, the ban by Presidential Proclamation did not mean that no Nigerian could ever enter into the U.S.

She noted that the Bi-national commission meeting in Washington was held at about the same time of the proclamation adding that the meeting provided Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Geoffery Onyeama and the U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo the opportunity to make further explanation s on the visa ban.

“I have to congratulate Nigeria on its progress on greater information sharing with the United States, which is croak of a lot of issues dealt with in these Presidential proclamations.

“We have reviewed the Federal Government’s report on information sharing and we are inspired by the strides that Nigeria has made to improve access to stolen and lost travel documents.

“And in particularly, encouraged by the Sept. 7 announcement that the U.S provided interpol router is successfully connected to Nigeria’s Immigration Service and National center bureau in Abuja. Washington is extremely pleased about that development in particular,” Leonard said.

On the imposition of visa restriction to those who undermine electoral process, Leonard said the U.S takes it very seriously as the integrity of electoral processes to the fundamental trust of compact between a citizen and their government.

She warned that anyone who violates the electoral process in Saturday’s Governorship election in Edo state and the October 10 Governorship election in Ondo state, will face serious sanctions.