A recent executive order issued by the President of the United States has set in motion a large-scale deportation of undocumented immigrants, with 1,563 Sierra Leoneans among those affected.

The directive, part of a broader immigration crackdown, is expected to impact a total of 1,445,549 individuals worldwide.

According to data from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), other African nations such as Guinea, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal (1,689 individuals), and Sudan (1,012 individuals) have also been listed as countries with significant numbers of deportees.

This latest move has sparked concern among Sierra Leonean communities in the U.S. and back home, as families brace for the return of relatives who may have spent years building lives abroad.

Immigration experts suggest that the mass deportation could have social and economic implications, including increased unemployment and strain on local resources.

Authorities in Sierra Leone have yet to make an official statement regarding the development, but the situation raises questions about the country’s capacity to reintegrate returnees.

This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as the situation unfolds.