Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to the recent U.S. visa restrictions affecting Nigerians and citizens of 23 other countries, urging those impacted to focus on developing their home countries instead of seeking opportunities abroad.

The restrictions, announced on Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump, expand entry limits on foreign nationals from 24 countries, citing persistent shortcomings in screening, vetting and information-sharing that the administration says pose risks to national security and public safety. Nigeria is among several African nations listed, alongside countries in Asia, the Caribbean and Oceania.

Reacting via his official X handle on Wednesday, Sani described the policy as exclusionary and said it was largely targeted at what he termed “third world migrants.” He noted that while earlier visa bans were perceived to affect mainly government officials, the latest restrictions apply broadly to citizens of the listed countries.

Sani questioned the composition of the affected nations, pointing out that the list is dominated by African and Caribbean countries, with no Arab nations included, despite security being cited as the justification.

“The message is very clear: third world migrants are not welcomed. Stay back and build your country or deal with your problems,” he stated.

According to the White House, the proclamation imposes a full suspension on eight countries and partial restrictions on 16 others, affecting both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, including B, F, M and J categories. The U.S. administration maintains that the measures are necessary to mitigate security risks where sufficient information on applicants is lacking.