The Federal Government has expressed displeasure over the United States’ new visa requirement mandating Nigerian applicants to disclose details of their social media accounts from the past five years.
The U.S. Mission had announced on Monday that all Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media handles on the DS-160 visa application form, warning that failure to comply could result in visa denials and possible ineligibility for future applications.
Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said it is considering reciprocal measures against U.S. citizens seeking Nigerian visas.
“We are aware of the development. It is part of the measures they had earlier informed us they would implement. On issues like this, the best response is reciprocal action. Some U.S. citizens applying for Nigerian visas may also be required to provide similar details. Visa policies are reciprocal what you mandate our nationals to do, we will mandate yours to do as well,” a senior government official stated.
The Federal Government further disclosed that an inter-agency meeting will soon be convened to determine the most appropriate response. The meeting will involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency.
According to the official, the consultation will ensure a coordinated and holistic approach to Nigeria’s reaction to the U.S. visa regulation.
FG to Retaliate Over U.S. Visa Social Media Rule
Leave a Reply