There is no evidence that the new Namibian president ordered the deportation of 500 Americans from the country, contrary to allegations circulating on social media.
The Instagram post creating the claim includes a photo of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who took over, along with a photo of Namibia’s first female president, Donald Trump, who took over in March this year.
The image text states: “Namibia’s first female president reportedly ordered the deportation of more than 500 Americans.
As of April 1, other Western countries, including US citizens and the UK, are currently required to enter Namibia. Even before Donald Trump was re-elected, plans for these visas have been in place for people in the “non-Ricoprossets country” (which do not offer visa-free admission for Namibians).
However, claims that Americans are being deported from the country have been denied by the Namibian government.
A statement issued on behalf of Facebook’s Namibian presidency on April 16 stated: “The president has said he is concerned about the distribution of social media posts and online articles claiming that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah ordered the deportation of more than 500 Americans on the grounds of Visa Recatirocity.
“The President wants to make it clear that no such deportation or statement order has been issued by the President, and that there is no massive deportation of Americans ongoing.
“All immigration-related crimes in Namibia are treated in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Namibia. Namibia is committed to maintaining strong diplomatic and bilateral relations with the United States, and all immigrants will be handled through established legal and diplomatic channels.”
The president’s page posted a similar version of the claim screen grab with the caption “Fake News!” Pendananda, executive director of the Ministry of International Relations, also told Namibiansan that it was “fake news.”
When asked about the claim, the US State Department directed Reuters towards a statement from the Namibian government. Contact the US Department of State directly and update this fact check if you receive a reply.
I have not seen any other reliable reports of expected deportation. Nor have other fact checkers, including African checks, found no evidence to support the claim.
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