More than 500 non-detained people from the US-sanctioned African country are said to be on the list of people awaiting expulsion
Zimbabwe’s leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has thrown his weight behind American President Donald Trump’s decision to expel illegal immigrants from the US, including those from the southern African nation.
President Mnangagwa announced his support for the move in a post on X on Wednesday.
Mnangagwa, whose country has been under US sanctions for decades, declared that his government “supports the United States government’s decision to repatriate and return our Zimbabwean citizens who may have been residing in the US illegally.”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been carrying out daily raids across the US since Trump took office on January 20. Between 11 million and 35 million people are believed to be living in the US illegally. Trump promised on the campaign trail that, if elected, he would thin out this number by leading “the largest deportation operation in American history.”
While all undocumented immigrants commit a crime the moment they enter the US unlawfully, both Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan, have said that this operation will focus initially on those who have racked up criminal records after entering the country.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told American media on Tuesday that Washington has begun flying undocumented immigrants to a military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
According to a report released late last year by ICE, around 40,172 Africans from 47 countries on the continent face deportation from the US and are awaiting final orders. Somalia tops the list with 4,090 nationals set to be expelled, followed by Mauritania (3,822), Nigeria (3,690), and Ghana (3,228).
There are 545 non-detained Zimbabwean nationals on the expulsion list, which also includes 379 South African citizens, 174 Zambians, 15 Mozambicans, and 12 citizens of Botswana.
The US government has urged countries to accept the return of their citizens, warning that “lack of cooperation from the foreign government delays and, in many cases, inhibits the removal process.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro had earlier denied entry to two American military planes carrying deported migrants, claiming that the “US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals.” However, after Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs and sanctions on the country, Petro reversed course and announced an agreement to accept deportees. Bogota announced on January 26 that Petro’s presidential plane would be sent to pick up Colombian nationals slated for deportation.
In July, the UK abandoned plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda under a controversial immigration policy after the Conservatives lost the elections to the Labour Party. Current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the scheme “dead,” opposing his predecessor Rishi Sunak’s claim that it would “stop the boats.”
