United States Ends Temporary Protected Status for Yemeni Refugees

United States Ends Temporary Protected Status for Yemeni Refugees
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The United States government has announced it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals, ending protections that have been in place for nearly a decade.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the TPS designation for Yemen, first granted in September 2015 due to the ongoing conflict in the country, will expire within 60 days. TPS allows eligible foreign nationals to live and work legally in the United States when returning to their home country would pose serious risks because of war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

According to figures cited by Agence France-Presse, approximately 1,400 Yemeni nationals currently benefit from TPS in the United States.

In a statement, Noem said that following a review of conditions in Yemen and consultations with relevant U.S. government agencies, authorities concluded that the country no longer meets the legal requirements for TPS designation. She added that allowing Yemeni TPS holders to remain in the United States was deemed inconsistent with U.S. national interests.

Yemen remains one of the world’s poorest countries and has been embroiled in civil war since 2014.

The announcement follows similar decisions affecting nationals from countries including Venezuela, Haiti, and Nepal, as part of broader U.S. efforts to tighten immigration policy. Yemeni TPS beneficiaries without another legal basis to stay in the country will have 60 days to depart voluntarily or face possible detention. Those who leave voluntarily may receive a free plane ticket and a $2,600 departure incentive.