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| The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington |
Vanguard NG>>> The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, on Friday said America
would not discriminate against any Nigerian on the basis of religion or on the
new visa regime. President Trump recently signed an executive order that banned
citizens from seven countries from travelling into the U.S. for 90 days
.The countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The restrictions were part of wide-ranging immigration controls that also suspended refugee arrivals.
At a press conference
in Abuja on President Donald Trump’s executive order and its effects on
Nigeria, the ambassador dispelled the rumour of reducing U.S. visa policy
for Nigeria to one year. Symington said that the two-year visa for Nigeria was
still valid.
“The new order now is
for the U.S. government to cross-check as many that are coming into the U.S.
before issuing visas.
“We will not discriminate on the basis of religion in
issuing visas to Nigerians. The two-year visa is still valid contrary to
reports we have heard in the media. “Nigeria’s leadership role is crucial in
the world and Nigeria cannot be blacklisted.
The importance of Nigeria in the world is legal,” he said. The
envoy explained that Nigerians, particularly its Muslim community, would not be
discriminated against by the order.
He said that the aim of the executive order was not to be
used as a weapon to deliberately deny anyone visa into the U.S. The ambassador explained
that the executive order was designed to put in place a new and effective
system.
He said that the new system would ensure that people, who
genuinely wanted to visit, live or work in the U.S., could do so and stop any
that posed a threat from entering into the country.
On the issue of the U.S. closing its doors against countries
that were in crisis and refugees, Symington said that his country was not
shutting its doors but putting in place measures to ensure safety for all. “We
recognise that we are a nation of immigrants and a nation constantly seeking to
bring diverse people together.
“Our goal is to have
in place a process that works. For everyone that applies for a visa, we should
be able to find out the persons background as to where he has been before.
“The idea is to ensure that when we open the door to our
house, people are going in to do good deeds, not to do harm,” he said. The Head
of Consular Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Abuja, Mr Megan Moore also gave assurance
that the executive order would not affect the validity of visas issued to
Nigerians, saying that the only thing that had changed “is the renewal
period’’.
The Consular Chief said that though the U.S. visa policy was
based on reciprocity, Nigerians would not be discriminated against. “It is
important to note that there is not going to be any changes for Nigerians who
have a valid U.S. visa. “The U.S. Government issues multiple-entry two-year
visa to Nigerians.
The rumour that we are planning to change that to one year
is not true. “The main difference for Nigerians will be; you can use the DHL
Drop box renewal programme if your visa has expired within 12 months.
“But if
it expired more than 12 months ago, then you will need to schedule an
appointment for interview. “Our goal is to ensure that Nigerians are able to
travel to U. S. so that they continue to participate in the fabrics of
our lives,” Moore said.
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