Zimbabwe responds to US deporting of illegal immigrants

(MENAFN) Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s decision to deport illegal immigrants from the United States, including Zimbabwean citizens. In a post on X, Mnangagwa stated that his government backs the repatriation of Zimbabweans residing in the US without legal status.

Since Trump’s inauguration, US Immigration and customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been conducting daily raids across the country as part of an operation aimed at removing the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US. trump had promised to carry out the "largest deportation operation in American history" and initially focused on individuals with criminal records.

As of a recent ICE report, over 40,000 Africans from 47 countries, including Zimbabwe, are facing deportation. Among them, 545 Zimbabweans are on the expulsion list, alongside nationals from other African nations such as South Africa, Zambia, and Mauritania.

The US has urged countries to cooperate with the deportation process, warning that failure to do so could delay the removal of their citizens. In contrast, Colombia had initially resisted accepting deported migrants but reversed its stance after Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions, leading to an agreement to take back Colombian nationals. Meanwhile, the UK abandoned plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda after losing the elections.

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