Why Trump is punishing Nigeria amid tough visa rules

Nigeria’s rejection of a United States proposal to temporarily house asylum seekers has been cited as a key reason for the latest visa clampdown announced by the Trump administration, TheCable has reported.

According to diplomatic sources, President Donald Trump had been pressuring various countries, including Nigeria, to serve as temporary hosts for asylum seekers while their applications are processed, a process that can stretch for as long as seven years.

While some countries acquiesced, Nigeria declined, leading to what insiders say is Trump’s trademark retaliation tactic: imposing penalties until negotiations shift in his favour.

“Trump’s strategy has always involved applying pressure, like he’s done with tariffs,” a source told the online platform.

On Tuesday, the US embassy announced a reduction in the validity and entry allowances for most non-immigrant Nigerian visas, limiting them to a single entry with a 90-day validity.

Though online speculation initially linked the move to Nigeria ceasing five-year visas for Americans, that claim was debunked.

Nigerian visa categories for US citizens still range from three months to five years, reports confirm. The real issue, sources say, lies in Nigeria’s refusal to sign on to a wider US deportation scheme targeting non-citizen asylum seekers.

Since resuming office, Trump has intensified efforts to deport illegal immigrants and push asylum seekers into third countries.

Like the United Kingdom’s Rwanda asylum deal, the US approached countries such as El Salvador, Panama, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Nigeria with similar proposals.

While some African nations have accepted limited numbers, Nigeria’s firm stance was reportedly due to its unwillingness to accept non-citizens, many of whom are also convicted felons, and the protracted nature of their asylum processes.

“The arrangement was to serve US migration interest, not Nigeria’s,” a diplomat familiar with the talks revealed.

In addition to seeking Nigeria’s participation in its migrant relocation program, the Trump administration also requested that US citizens be allowed to apply for a Nigerian visa electronically without visiting an embassy, a proposal Nigeria rejected.

Sources cited a lack of reciprocal treatment, as Nigerian applicants to the US do not enjoy similar privileges.

The US embassy has since urged Nigeria to meet broader criteria for improving visa reciprocity, including enhanced documentation, effective overstay tracking, and the sharing of criminal data.

It was reported that the US is particularly interested in accessing Nigeria’s criminal records to identify nationals with prior convictions who are now residing in the US.