On April 1, 2025, we marked the implementation of Namibia's new visa application system. This means that travelers from over 30 countries require a visa before entering or upon arrival. Since then, online posts claim that Namibia has announced plans to deport more than 500 Americans. However, this is wrong. The US is on the list of countries that require a visa to visit Namibia, but it was not announced about deporting 500 Americans. The presidency has raised the claims of “fake news.”
“Over 500 Americans set up for deportation – no visas, no stays! The President of Namibia is not smiling,” reads an X post published on April 13, 2025.
“She declared boldly: “If Africans need a visa to enter the United States, then Americans also need a visa to enter Namibia!”
The post includes photos of Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and President Donald Trump, as well as photos of people on the plane.
Screenshot of a false X post taken on April 21, 2025
The claim has been shared thousands of times on social media, including Threads, X, Facebook, and more.
Reactions to the post show that many people are praising the praised announcement.
Namibia recently changed its visa entry requirements, making it even more stringent for citizens in more than 30 countries around the world, including the United States.
However, the government has not announced that 500 US citizens will be deported.
Ease of travel
A keyword search for “Namibia and deportation” has shown countless blog posts, posts and videos that have repeated claims despite no official announcements from the government.
When asked about the claim, Namibian interior spokeswoman Margaret Karo said on April 15, 2025 that he was unaware of “out of such developments.”
The Namibian presidency released an X-post labelled “fake news” on the same day (archived here).
In an email to AFP FactCheck on April 17, 2025, the US Embassy wrote:
Reciprocity
According to national tourism data, more than 25,500 people traveled from the US to Namibia in 2023.
Last year, Namibian Congress approved new visa requirements in 31 countries, including the United States.
Screenshots from 31 countries affected by Namibia's visa changes
Australia and New Zealand were later added to the list, reaching 33 (archived here).
“In recent years, the Republic of Namibia has expanded its gesture of goodwill and favorable treatment to the people of various countries,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“However, despite these efforts, certain countries have not made a return trip,” he added. “In light of these disparities, the government believes it is necessary to implement visa requirements to ensure equality and fairness in diplomatic interactions.”
The new requirements came into effect on April 1, 2025. The next day, the US Embassy in Namibia announced that the Namibian government would “require US citizens to obtain visas before entering the country,” and recommended visitors in advance (archived here).
The embassy said there have been no changes to other types of visas, including students, volunteers and work visas that must be obtained before travel.
The statement also indicated that travelers who owned the wrong or incorrect entry stamp could continue or face detention, arrests and fines, but did not mention deportation.
Namibian spokesman Alfredo Hengali also told AFP FactCheck that the president has not publicly commented on Namibia's new visa requirements.
Since Trump returned to the White House, AFP FactCheck has uncovered many claims related to migration. You can read more about this here.
