The US principal adviser for global religious freedom, Mark Walker, says the United States has begun enforcing its policy restricting visas for individuals responsible for religious freedom violations in Nigeria.
In December, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, announced new visa restrictions targeting those who “knowingly direct, authorise, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom.”
Rubio said the measure formed part of America’s response to the “atrocities and violence against Christians” in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The announcement followed a resolution introduced a month earlier by Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, recommending visa bans and asset freezes on persons and organisations linked to serious religious freedom abuses in Nigeria.
Smith’s resolution specifically named the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore among the entities accused.
In a post on X on Friday, Walker said, “We have already executed on this policy, and we will continue to subject perpetrators to additional scrutiny,” though he did not identify those affected.
“If you engage in persecution, you are not welcome in America,” he added. “The United States is safer when we keep those responsible for religious persecution from entering our homeland.”
In February, US lawmakers also proposed sanctions against Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, accusing him of being complicit in violations of religious freedom.