Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The government of the United States of America has not officially informed Namibia about the deportation of 19 Namibian nationals, with officials only learning about the matter through social media and online sources.
“There are mechanisms in place if there are people to be deported. The U.S. is a sovereign state like Namibia, so we do not interfere in their internal processes, and we also do not expect them to interfere in ours,” the executive director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), Ambassador Penda Naanda said.
Naanda added that the Namibian government has verification measures in place to confirm the nationality of individuals before deportation.
“If needed, we will contact family members,” he stated.
The deportation orders are part of what the Donald Trump administration has called “the largest deportation operation in American history,” with 1.4 million non-citizens under final deportation orders as of November 2024.
The Trump administration, which took office this month, has launched an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.
Recent operations have already led to approximately 3 500 arrests of unauthorised immigrants across the United States, according to ICE statistics.
The ICE document also outlines several factors that can complicate deportations, including individuals seeking asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Additionally, the cooperation level of the origin countries plays a crucial role in the removal process.
“The U.S. government believes every country is obligated to accept the return of its citizens and nationals who are ineligible to remain in the United States,” the ICE document states.
Countries’ cooperation is evaluated based on their willingness to confirm citizenship, conduct interviews, issue travel documents, and accept returns via commercial or charter flights.
Trump has enacted sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policy since his January 20 inauguration.
In his first week in office, Trump signed multiple executive orders targeting immigration, including one declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The administration has deployed 1 500 active-duty troops to reinforce the southern border and has begun using military aircraft for deportation flights.
As of 24 November 2024, there are 1 445 549 non-citizens on ICE’s non-detained list with final orders to be deported.
