Nigerians travelling to the US could be hurt by the country’s recent tagging of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, as a terrorist group, AllAfrica quoted a Vanguard report.

The U.S. designated the sect and Ansaru militant groups as foreign terrorist organizations with the State Department on November 13, describing the move as “an important” step to help Nigeria “root out violent extremism.”

This means that the U.S. justice system has been empowered to block all financial dealings or transactions between America and these organizations, but could also go beyond that and hurt Nigerians effort to get visa to the U.S., think-tank, Council of Foreign Policy, said.

Reacting to the tag, the council through former ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell, said “The response to Boko Haram and other jihadist insurgencies is shaping U.S. foreign policy toward Nigeria and the Sahel. But despite rhetoric to the contrary, the region remains a marginal U.S. priority.”

“But the vague wording of the designation could pose administrative difficulties for Nigerians not connected to jihadist movements,” he added.