The United States Department of State on Wednesday announced new measures aimed at addressing violence against Christians in Nigeria and other countries. The policy targets radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other actors responsible for attacks on religious communities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is taking “decisive action in response to the mass killings and attacks on Christians carried out by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and beyond.”
Under the new policy, Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to restrict visas for individuals who have “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.” These restrictions could also extend to immediate family members where appropriate.
Rubio emphasized that the measures could apply to Nigeria or any other country or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom. He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.”
The announcement followed a briefing by US House Republicans on Tuesday, which highlighted the rising attacks on Christians in Nigeria. The session, led by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, included members of the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as religious freedom experts. Participants included Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Chris Smith, and representatives from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and the Council on Foreign Relations.
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The new policy coincides with growing US scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of terrorism, banditry, and targeted attacks on Christians. On November 20, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing on Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, a status that places the country under heightened observation for alleged violations of religious freedom and could lead to sanctions against officials found complicit in persecution.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved Nigeria’s delegation to the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, established to implement security agreements from high-level talks in Washington led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The visa restrictions are part of broader US efforts to hold perpetrators of religious violence accountable and protect vulnerable faith communities in Nigeria and beyond.