US ends temporary protection for Somalia, South Sudan, Cameroon and Ethiopia

Affected individuals expected to explore other immigration options (Photo: Magnific)

The United States (US) has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of Somalia, South Sudan, Cameroon and Ethiopia, removing a legal protection that had allowed thousands of people from the four countries to remain and work in the country.

TPS is a US immigration programme that grants temporary protection to people who cannot safely return to their home countries because of conflict, insecurity, natural disasters or other serious conditions. Those approved under the programme are allowed to live legally in the US and receive work permits.

The decision means people who depended on TPS will now have to find other legal ways to remain in the US or risk losing their immigration status. Those without another form of protection could face deportation proceedings.

The US government said the decision followed a review of conditions in the affected countries and concluded that they no longer met the requirements for continued protection under the programme.

For many Somali nationals, the move ends years of protection that allowed them to work, support their families and establish their lives in the US. Somalia’s TPS status had been extended several times due to security and humanitarian concerns.

Immigration advocates have criticised the decision, saying many beneficiaries have lived in the US for years and have built families, careers and communities while protected under TPS.

However, supporters of the move argue that TPS was created as a temporary measure and should end when the US government determines that conditions in a country have changed.

The termination is part of a wider effort by the Donald Trump administration to review and reduce the number of people receiving temporary immigration protections.

Affected individuals are now expected to explore other immigration options available to them or prepare for the possibility of leaving the US if they cannot obtain another legal status.

Source: https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/somalia/390643/us-ends-temporary-protection-for-somalia-south-sudan-cameroon-and-ethiopia