U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States will impose strict visa restrictions on individuals who direct, approve, finance, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom, with a particular focus on those responsible for violence and killings targeting Christians in Nigeria and across the globe.
kabul 24: Rubio stated: “The United States will not remain silent in the face of those who perpetrate violence and crimes against Christians in Nigeria and around the world. We will take decisive action.”According to the State Department, this new policy is a direct response to “widespread massacres and violence against Christians by Islamic extremist terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other perpetrators of violence in Nigeria and beyond.” In recent years, these attacks have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Christians, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, and the complete destruction of hundreds of Christian villages, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern states.
The announcement comes just two months after President Donald Trump officially designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) in October for systematic persecution of Christians – the strongest diplomatic warning the U.S. issues regarding religious freedom violations, often accompanied by sanctions and visa bans.
Christian advocacy groups and international human rights organizations, including Aid to the Church in Need and Open Doors, have long described Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian.
According to their 2024 reports, more than 4,500 Christians were killed in Nigeria alone last year by jihadist groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militants.
The new U.S. visa policy could bar hundreds of individuals – including security officials, militia commanders, financial backers, and even politicians indirectly complicit in the violence – from entering the United States.This move sends a clear message not only to Nigeria but also to other nations where Christian communities face severe persecution.
The Trump administration has once again signaled that protecting religious freedom, especially for persecuted Christians worldwide, remains a top foreign policy priority in its second term.
