‘Not welcome in America’– U.S. implements visa bans for Nigerian religious freedom violators

U.S. Principal Adviser for Global Religious Freedom Mark Walker confirmed on Friday that the United States has begun enforcing a visa restriction policy against Nigerian individuals and entities responsible for religious persecution.

Mark Walker, the U.S. Principal Adviser for Global Religious Freedom, announced on Friday, April 10, 2026, that the United States has officially implemented and executed a policy to restrict visa issuance to individuals responsible for religious freedom violations in Nigeria. In a post on X, Walker emphasized that the U.S. State Department is already taking action against perpetrators of persecution, though specific names of the affected entities were not publicly disclosed. “We have already executed on this policy, and we will continue to subject perpetrators to additional scrutiny,” Walker stated, adding a firm warning: “If you engage in persecution, you are not welcome in America. The United States is safer when we keep those responsible for religious persecution from entering our homeland.

The enforcement of these restrictions follows a pivotal announcement in December 2025 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who outlined a new visa policy targeting those who “knowingly direct, authorise, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom.” Rubio characterized the measures as part of the U.S. government’s response to “atrocities and violence against Christians” and other religious groups in Nigeria. This administrative push aligned with efforts from the U.S. Congress, specifically a resolution introduced by Representative Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, which recommended visa bans and asset freezes for those behind severe religious freedom violations.

The U.S. policy specifically addresses long-standing concerns regarding extremist violence and ethnic militia activities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Northern regions. Representative Smith’s resolution notably identified the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as erring entities, while February 2026 legislative proposals further labeled former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as complicit in such violations. While Nigerian officials have previously described such labeling as “unhelpful,” the U.S. State Department’s latest actions under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act signal an escalating commitment to using diplomatic and immigration tools to address religious persecution in Africa’s most populous nation.

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