Why Nigeria Was Excluded From 2015 DV Lottery – U.S Envoy

The United States Consul-General, Mr.
Jeffery Hawkins, on Thursday, gave
reasons why Nigeria was excluded from the
2015 Diversity-Visa-Programme
registration.
Hawkins told journalists at the
U.S. Consulate General in
Lagos, that Nigeria was among
other countries that had in the last five years,
sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the
country through the programme.
"As at today, Nigerians have graduated from
being under-represented to being a fully well
represented group in the U.S.
"There is therefore no longer any need to
encourage Nigerians to apply to travel to the
U.S. through the Diversity-Visa-Programme.
"Already there are too many Nigerians in the
U.S. that have benefited from this
programme,'' he said.
The envoy explained that the diversity visa was
created to promote countries with low rates of
immigration to the U.S. Hawkins said that
Nigeria and other affected countries had
already exceeded their quota in the last five
years.
He, however, stressed that the U.S. authorities
would continue to give preference to Nigerians
travelling to U.S for visits, business
transactions, studies and professional
engagements. "All other types of immigration
from Nigeria to the U.S, apart from the
diversity visa, would continue unabated.
"Also, let me say that the ban has nothing to
do with our relations with Nigeria now, and in
the years ahead,'' the News Agency of Nigeria
quoted the envoy as saying to journalists. He
also dismissed insinuations making the rounds
that the move was to reduce the number of
Nigerians travelling to the U.S.
The U.S official also said that the development
had "nothing to do with insecurity, activities
of Boko Haram and other forms of upheaval in
Nigeria." It would be recalled that the U.S.
Department of State, banned Nigeria,
Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador and
Haiti from participating in the 2015 Diversity-
Visa-Programme.
Other affected countries are: India, Jamaica,
Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South
Korea, United Kingdom and Vietnam.