The Trump administration is currently negotiating with the Democratic Republic of Congo about establishing a deportation agreement that would allow the United States to send migrants to the African nation, according to multiple government sources in Kinshasa who spoke with Reuters.
Two Congolese government officials confirmed the ongoing discussions, which were also verified by three United Nations sources and two diplomatic officials who have been briefed on the matter by American representatives.
These negotiations highlight Washington’s increasing dependence on third-country deportation arrangements to accelerate the removal process for migrants who entered the United States illegally or overstayed their authorized presence.
Such deportation agreements are typically negotiated behind closed doors, with minimal public information released about their scope or specific conditions.
The Congo discussions are happening alongside Trump administration efforts to broker a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda, as well as secure American access to Congo’s valuable mineral resources.
The United States has previously established similar deportation partnerships with several African nations, including Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini. Legal scholars and human rights organizations have condemned these arrangements, questioning their legal foundation and raising concerns about how deportees are treated when sent to countries where they are not citizens.
In some cases, migrants have been forcibly removed despite having received court-ordered protection in the United States that was specifically designed to prevent their deportation.
According to the Congolese sources, the current negotiations have not yet produced a finalized agreement, and several important aspects remain unresolved. Officials have not disclosed when deportation flights might begin, how many migrants could be affected, or which nationalities would be involved.
It remains unknown what compensation or benefits Congo might receive for agreeing to accept these deportees.
A source from the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration who is familiar with the negotiations indicated that the plan could include migrants from South American countries, potentially including Venezuelan nationals.
When asked for comment, a State Department representative stated that Washington had “no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.”
A spokesperson for Congo’s presidential office did not respond to requests for comment.
