Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian Embassy in the United States has confirmed that 24 individuals, believed to be Tanzanians, are currently being held by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for residing in the country illegally.
According to the embassy, four of the detained individuals have completed all legal procedures for deportation and are expected to be repatriated to Tanzania imminently.
The remaining 20 are still undergoing immigration proceedings in the US.
Responding to inquiries from The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi, regarding the status of Tanzanians living illegally in the US, the embassy stated that it has not been informed of the exact timing of the deportations.
“We have not yet been informed when these Tanzanians will be deported, but our embassy in the US has already been asked by the relevant authorities to provide travel documents for two of the four individuals who have been ordered to leave. Therefore, we expect their deportation to happen at any time,” the embassy stated.
The deportation process aligns with US immigration policies, which mandate the removal of individuals residing in the country without proper documentation.
A recent ICE report revealed that as of 24 November 2024, a total of 1,445,549 undocumented immigrants from various nations had been listed for deportation. Among East African nations, Kenya had the highest number of affected individuals (1,282), followed by Burundi (462), Uganda (393), Rwanda (338), and Tanzania (301).
The embassy clarified that Tanzanians deported from the US would not face travel restrictions to other countries.
However, under current US immigration laws, they will only be eligible to apply for a visa to re-enter the country after ten years.
Upon arrival in Tanzania, deportees will be received by the Immigration Department, and once all necessary immigration procedures are completed, they will be free to resume their lives as Tanzanian citizens.
The embassy emphasised its cooperation with US immigration authorities to verify the citizenship of those detained and to issue travel documents where necessary. It also reminded Tanzanians that residing in any country without legal documentation is an offence.
“Regarding the Tanzanians detained for residing illegally in the US, our embassy is working with US immigration authorities to verify their citizenship and issue travel documents once their Tanzanian nationality is confirmed,” the embassy said.
The Director of Tanzania’s Diaspora Office, Kelvin Nyamori, stated on 4 February 2025 that the deportation process will be particularly challenging for individuals who used false nationalities to gain refugee status.
He noted that some individuals manipulate the system to obtain documentation from other countries, which could complicate their deportation process.
“Every country has its own immigration laws. If you left Tanzania, you cannot falsely claim war or refugee status, as Tanzania has no such crises. Some people manipulate the system to obtain documentation from other countries,” Nyamori explained.
“If you entered the US under a false identity—say, you were called Judy, but you are actually a Tanzanian, and your passport records show that you never returned home—then later you claim to be Kuruthumu from Somalia, this will pose another legal challenge,” he added.
Nyamori urged Tanzanians to adhere to proper immigration procedures and ensure they have valid permits when travelling abroad.
