The US Embassy in Nigeria yesterday reacted to complaints that the American Government had begun discreet revocation of visas belonging to some Nigerians without any explanation or opportunity for appeal.
A spokesperson for the embassy in Lagos in a response to enquiries, said that the action was part of President Donald Trump’s moves to secure the American people, noting that the increased vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners with valid US visas and not just Nigerians.
“We seek your urgent clarification on reports on the purported blocking from entry of Nigerian US Visa Holders. Is this true? What is the general and specific implications of this on all valid Nigerian US visa holders?”, the query stated.
But in a response, the embassy maintained that visas were being cancelled in cases where a foreign visitor – including foreign students – overstays their lawful period of admission, engages in criminal activity or provides material support to a terrorist organisation.
The erstwhile spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Olufemi Soneye, had first raised the alarm last week in a widely-circulated piece.
Soneye described the trend as ‘unsettling’ explaining that it had gone beyond rumour or speculation, as dozens of affected Nigerians, professionals, entrepreneurs, and frequent travellers have received formal letters instructing them to submit their passports at the consulate in Lagos or Abuja, only to have their visas unceremoniously canceled.
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“What makes this development even more alarming is the veil of silence surrounding it. I have personally reviewed at least eight such cancellation letters. The notices cite Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 41.122 as the legal basis, vaguely stating that ‘new information became available after the visa was issued’.
“Beyond that, nothing is explained. No evidence is shared. No avenue for appeal is offered. Recipients are merely advised to reapply if they wish, an instruction that provides no comfort to those suddenly stripped of their mobility,” Soneye, a media practitioner wrote.
In some cases, he stated that the humiliation had been unbearable as travellers discovered at the airport, sometimes even at boarding gates that their visas had been quietly invalidated, while a few were briefly detained by immigration authorities before being sent home in shame.
But the US embassy in Nigeria emphasised that the Act covering current actions by the American government was not new, stressing that what is happening is that the Trump administration was tightening the noose in cases where there are indications of a potential ineligibility.
“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 might pose a threat to US national security or public safety is key to protecting US citizens at home. Every prospective traveler to the United States undergoes interagency security vetting. The Department’s continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid U.S. visas.
“Under the Trump Administration, the State Department is revoking the visa in cases where a foreign visitor – including foreign students – overstays their lawful period of admission, engages in criminal activity, provides material support to a terrorist organisation, or otherwise violates US law,” the response noted.
According to the note from the embassy, the consular offices hold the right to cancel visas at any time, especially when there’s a suspicion that the rules were flouted.
“This work is based squarely on the Department’s authorities under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) – tools that have existed for decades. Section 221(i) gives the Secretary and Consular Officers discretion to revoke visas at any time, and we use this authority to take action when there is an indication of a potential ineligibility under the INA,” it stressed.
Besides, the embassy emphasised that although the law existed before now, this is the largest scale of such an exercise ever, insisting that it is meant to protect the American people.
“While we have had this revocation authority for decades, we are using all the information we have to do this on a scale never seen before, in order to keep American borders secure and American communities safe,” the US embassy in Nigeria added.