Rumours that Namibia is deporting U.S. citizens (over 500) without visas have gone viral across African social media.
Posts circulating on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter) claim that Namibia’s President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has ordered the removal of more than 500 Americans for entering the country without proper visas.
However, a thorough fact-check reveals that there is no evidence to support the claim that Namibia is deporting U.S. citizens under a new visa policy.
How the claim started
The rumour originated from a Facebook post by Zamani’s Blog, an entertainment page on Sunday.
The post alleged that President Nandi-Ndaitwah declared that, “If Africans need visas to enter the USA, then Americans must also need visas to enter Namibia,” and therefore ordered mass deportations.
The narrative quickly spread:
- Progressive Nigerian Politics, a political page, amplified it on Facebook
- Instagram user Afrika World praised the “bold move” as a stand for African dignity
- X account Africa Hub posted the claim to its 45,000+ followers, receiving over 26,000 views, 1,200 likes, and 400 reposts.
The story snowballed across WhatsApp groups and smaller blogs by Monday and Tuesday, gaining emotional traction among African audiences sensitive to perceived immigration double standards.
What actually happened: Namibia’s new visa policy
While Namibia did introduce new visa restrictions on Americans, the context is significantly different from what viral posts suggest.
In July 2024, former Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba announced that Namibia would impose visa requirements on citizens of 31 countries starting April 1, 2025.
Affected nations include the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Canada, and Italy – countries that require visas from Namibian travelers but had previously been exempt from Namibian visa rules.
Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs emphasised that the decision was about reciprocity, not retaliation. So, this new visa rules only took effect on April 1.
“Namibia has been offering visa-free access to travelers from several countries that do not reciprocate. To ensure fairness, a visa requirement will now apply,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The U.S. Embassy in Windhoek confirmed the policy’s activation on April 2, 2025, advising American citizens to secure visas before travel.
No evidence of Namibia deporting U.S. citizens
After investigating official sources:
- President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s verified social media accounts show no announcements ordering deportations.
- Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security issued no deportation directive either on their website or verified social pages.
- Major Namibian news outlets, including The Namibian, New Era, and NBC Namibia, have not reported any deportation of Americans.
- No credible video or audio evidence exists of the President or any cabinet official making deportation threats.
The policy in place simply mandates that U.S. travelers obtain visas before arriving in Namibia, which is a standard immigration procedure, not an extraordinary expulsion move.
Why the misinterpretation spread
Several factors fueled the viral spread:
- Many Africans view strict U.S. visa policies under President Donald Trump as unfair and feel satisfaction at perceived “reciprocity.”
- Social media blogs and users took the visa changes and exaggerated them into sensationalist stories without fact-checking.
- Pages focused on Pan-Africanism or African sovereignty themes helped push the narrative.
However, facts remain key: No deportations occurred based on the visa changes.
