The US government has announced that it is ending a programme that protects Liberian citizens who live in the country, Time magazine reports.
The Deferred Enforcement Departure, which began under former President Bill Clinton, allows Liberians to live and work legally in the US.
It’s similar to another programme called Temporary Protected Status, which the Trump administration also has worked to scale back.
The programme was set up to give refuge to victims of one of the most horrific massacres in the Liberian Civil War.
In a memorandum issued on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said Liberia was “no longer experiencing armed conflict” and has made “significant progress in restoring stability and democratic governance.”
“Liberia has also concluded reconstruction from prior conflicts, which has contributed significantly to an environment that is able to handle adequately the return of its nationals,” he added.
The order gave the affected 839 people a year to return to Liberia.
The protections will expire on 31 March 2019.
Liberia had its first smooth handover of power last year when football star George Weah won the election to replace Africa's first elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
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