The Democratic Republic of Congo will welcome its first group of deportees from the United States this week, with more than 30 individuals expected to arrive under a newly implemented agreement between the two nations, according to four sources who spoke with Reuters.
The deportees originate from nations other than Congo, with at least some coming from Central and South American countries, based on source information and U.S. court records. While one source indicated the total would reach 37 people, another estimated 45 individuals would be involved.
This group represents the initial arrivals under the arrangement with the Trump administration that was officially announced on April 5, just two days after Reuters revealed negotiations between the two countries regarding Congo accepting third-country deportees.
The deportation agreement comes as the Trump administration works to implement a U.S.-facilitated peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda designed to end conflict with Rwanda-supported M23 rebels in eastern Congo. This fighting has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The timing also follows the establishment of a strategic partnership that provides the United States with preferential access to Congo’s critical minerals.
Sources indicate the deportees should arrive in Congo by Friday and will be temporarily accommodated at a hotel located near Kinshasa’s primary airport. The three sources providing this information requested anonymity due to the controversial nature of the arrangement, which has faced opposition from human rights organizations and political opposition groups within Congo.
The United States has previously transported third-country deportees to various African nations, including Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini. These actions have drawn condemnation from legal professionals and advocacy groups who question the legal foundation for such transfers and raise concerns about how deportees are treated when sent to countries where they lack citizenship.
In some cases, deportees were subsequently returned to their home countries despite having received court-mandated protection in the U.S. designed to prevent such deportations.
A Congolese government representative did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Kinshasa has previously emphasized that it will not allocate any funds as part of its third-country deportee arrangement with the United States.
When contacted, a State Department representative stated that Washington had “no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.”
The airport hotel in Kinshasa is scheduled to accommodate the deportees for just 10 to 15 days, according to one source who could not specify what arrangements would follow that period.
The facility will continue operating for regular guests, and the deportees will have freedom of movement, according to a diplomat and a senior humanitarian source. Individual rooms will be provided for the deportees, along with two daily meals. Security will be managed by Congo’s national police working alongside a private security company.
Neither Washington nor Kinshasa has disclosed the total number of deportees that would eventually be transferred to Congo.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a U.N.-affiliated agency, will provide support to the deportees arriving this week, two sources confirmed. IOM has similarly assisted third-country deportees transported from the U.S. to Eswatini and Cameroon.
In a statement, IOM clarified it plays no part in the actual deportations, which are managed by the respective governments. The organization said it could offer “post-arrival humanitarian assistance” if requested by Congolese officials.
An IOM source revealed earlier this month that the U.S.-Congo deportation agreement could encompass migrants from South America, potentially including Venezuelans.
Reuters confirmed at least four migrants whose legal representatives were informed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that their clients would be deported to Congo this week. These individuals are from Colombia, Peru, Chile and Guatemala.
A federal judge’s April 8 court order from California, obtained by Reuters, revealed the U.S. government’s plan to remove a Peruvian migrant to Congo. This individual had been denied asylum but received protection against deportation to Peru due to fears of persecution.
