An American married to a Nigerian, Veronica Utulu, has called on the Nigerian government to do more to address the hardship families face over US visa restrictions, citing prolonged separation, rising travel costs and uncertainty surrounding their reunification.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, Utulu said the separation of spouses and the financial burden of travelling between the United States and Nigeria were placing significant pressure on families.
“It’s definitely been a hardship for us, the separation, the cost of travelling back and forth one way, the increase in expenses,” she said.
Utulu criticised what she described as insufficient action by the Nigerian government, saying affected families were being left without adequate information about efforts to address their situation.
“From my perspective, not enough. They need to do more. It’s just you’re sitting, you’re waiting, you’re not understanding or not knowing what’s going on.
“Lack of communication. It’s like we’re in a black hole and no one cares. And we’re just here not knowing what day we will be united with our spouses,” she said.
Utulu said she wanted answers from the Nigerian government, including President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, about measures being taken to reunite affected families.
“So I don’t know what the Nigerian government is doing. I don’t know what the president of Nigeria is doing or the minister of foreign affairs. So I would like some answers.
“What are they doing to help unite families? Families need to be united. It’s posing an engraved hardship on just me and my family, my extended family,” she said.
Addressing the US government’s immigration policies, Utulu argued that family reunification should not be made unnecessarily difficult, particularly given the country’s founding ideals of unity.
“When I look at America as a whole, we were formed united. United States. That’s what we’re called.
“United for families, united for work, united for the world. So now it’s not everyone who’s being denied. It’s 75 countries and now it’s a ban of 39 countries,” she said.
She also questioned why the immigration process had become difficult, pointing to the fact that US President Donald Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, is an immigrant.
“And Trump, his wife herself is an immigrant. So they’ve gone through the process. So why is it now so difficult?” Utulu asked.
She recalled that restrictions had been imposed during Trump’s previous administration before they were lifted, allowing more Nigerians to travel to the United States.
“Even he did this before when he was in office. Then it was lifted. And then other Nigerians got to come.
“And I’m speaking specifically about Nigerians. Got to come to the US and become affluent in America. And we’re just talking about giving us a chance,” she said.
Utulu added that affected couples were simply seeking an opportunity to reunite and build their lives together.
“And I’m saying us like I’m Nigerian, but I am part Nigerian. My husband is Nigerian. Giving us a chance to unite and to be the best Americans that we can be,” she said.
On whether the situation could change under a future administration, Utulu said she believed a Democratic administration might adopt a softer approach to immigration but acknowledged that the outcome remained uncertain.
“I believe that the Democrats would soften the stance. However, we don’t know. Trump is talking about staying in power,” she said.
She explained that the uncertainty surrounding immigration applications was also affecting the emotional well-being of spouses and their ability to carry out their daily responsibilities.
“And so when you’re living with something each and every day, not knowing what it is, that’s a hardship within itself. You can’t, how are you functioning? Your mental capacity is limited.
“You’re not being the best person that you can be. You’re not being the best mother, the best wife, because you’re concerned about what your tomorrow is like,” Utulu said.
She added that the broader international situation was contributing to the anxiety experienced by affected families.
“I mean, we see wars in the other countries. So it’s just, it’s a lot. It’s a lot to live with,” she said.
Utulu also highlighted the difficulties couples face in maintaining their marriages while living apart, including concerns about fidelity, finances and the involvement of other people in their relationships.
“Even when families live together, you have turmoil. So when you’re separate, you have a concern on what is my other spouse doing? Are they introducing other people into the relationship?
“Are they being faithful? Where’s money going? Money is a big obstacle,” she said.
Speaking about her own circumstances, Utulu said she had to work harder to support her Nigerian husband financially.
“So for me, I’m American. My husband is Nigerian. So for me, I have to work extra hard to help provide for him,” she said.
Boluwatife Enome
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