The Federal Government has issued a travel warning to Nigerians:it has advised Nigerians who have no compelling or urgent reason to travel to the U.S. to postpone their travel plans until the Trump administration’s policy on immigration is clear.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa gave the advice in Abuja on Monday.
Dabiri-Erewa in a statement by her media aide Abdurrahman Balogun, said that the warning became imperative due to series of reports received by her office.
“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry U.S. visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.
“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.
“No reasons were given for the decision by the U.S. immigration authorities,” she said
She, however, reminded Nigerians in the Diaspora to abide by the rules and regulations of their host countries and be good ambassadors of the country.
Nigeria was not among the countries affected by the revised travel ban announced by the Trump administration on Monday.
In the new executive order signed by President Donald Trump, Iraq was left off the list of targeted countries, White House Senior Administration Officials said.
This development happened after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.
The officials said that the new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, will keep a 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations, Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said earlier that the new order would take effect on March 16.
The new directive delays implementation to limit the disruption that created havoc for some travellers when Trump issued his original order.
Trump had said the restrictive order is necessary to ensure domestic security.
His Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told reporters “As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country”.
“Iraq was taken off the list in the original order, which was issued on Jan. 27, because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures.
“This includes heightened visa screening and data sharing, also because of its work with the U.S. in countering Islamic State militants.
Source – NAN
