A group of migrants became the first to be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo under a new deportation agreement with the United States, arriving in the African nation’s capital early Friday morning.
The aircraft touched down in Kinshasa around 1 a.m. local time, carrying individuals from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, according to flight tracking information and sources at the airport.
A Colombian woman who was part of the group told Reuters there were 16 migrants total – nine men and seven women. However, an airport official counted 15 arrivals.
Officials from Congo’s interior ministry and presidential office have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, reports indicated that more than 30 migrants were scheduled for deportation to Congo. The smaller number who actually arrived may be the result of last-minute legal interventions, according to Alma David, a US-based attorney representing one of the migrants. David said she knew of at least three instances where federal judges stopped the removals.
The total number of people who may eventually be deported under the Washington-Kinshasa agreement, which was announced April 5, remains unknown.
The Colombian migrant, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, described her experience: “The flight was very calm. They treated us well and gave us enough food.”
She added: “It was very long, around 26 or 27 hours.”
Flight data revealed the aircraft departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, with stops in Dakar, Senegal, and Accra, Ghana, before reaching its final destination.
This marks the first time so-called third-country deportees have been sent to Congo, a nation struggling with widespread violence, internal displacement, and a weak asylum infrastructure.
The deportation deal comes as the Trump administration works to implement a US-mediated peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda. The accord aims to end conflict involving Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo, fighting that has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents.
The agreement also follows the establishment of a strategic partnership that gives the United States priority access to Congo’s essential minerals.
Upon arrival in Congo, the deportees received seven-day visas that allow free movement throughout the country, with possible extensions up to three months, the Colombian migrant reported.
The group was also told they could seek asylum in Congo, though officials advised against it, warning that the country posed safety risks, according to the migrant.
