DRC to Receive Deportees from US Under New Agreement

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced that it will begin receiving “third-country” nationals who have been deported from the United States under a new agreement with the US government. The arrangement, which is described as “temporary,” is expected to commence this month and is funded by the US.

According to the Congolese Ministry of Communications, the DRC will not incur any costs for the deportations, while the US will cover all expenses. The statement also emphasized the country’s commitment to human dignity and international solidarity.

The announcement comes as part of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to broker a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as to secure access to Congolese critical minerals. This is not the first instance of third-country deportations; similar arrangements have been implemented in other African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini.

In Uganda, a group of 12 deportees is set to arrive under a deal with the Trump administration. The Uganda Law Society has announced that it will be challenging the deportation through the courts. The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has stated that third-country deportations have been systematically pursued since February 2025, raising concerns about due process and human rights.

The Trump administration has spent at least $40 million to deport approximately 300 migrants to countries other than their own, according to a report by the Democratic staff of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Source: Al Jazeera