Manny Ita –
Deported immigrants will be relocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo under a new agreement with the United States as part of Washington’s third-country removal programme, according to Congolese authorities. The arrangement makes Congo one of several African nations participating in similar deals that allow the U.S. to send migrants to countries other than their countries of origin.
The Congolese Ministry of Communications stated that deportees are expected to begin arriving this month, although no specific timeline or number of individuals has been disclosed. Officials described the agreement as temporary, emphasizing that it reflects the country’s commitment to humanitarian values and international cooperation. They also indicated that the arrangement will not impose financial costs on the Congolese government, as the United States will handle the logistics involved in the transfers.
The U.S. administration has reportedly established comparable agreements with multiple African countries, expanding its use of third-country deportation policies in recent years. These arrangements have drawn attention amid broader immigration enforcement efforts and shifting foreign policy priorities. Reports suggest that the U.S. has spent tens of millions of dollars relocating migrants to third countries under such programmes.
Human rights advocates and legal experts have expressed concerns about the practice, particularly regarding agreements with countries that have been criticized for governance and human rights conditions. Questions have also been raised about cases involving individuals who had received protection orders from U.S. immigration courts, preventing their return to their home countries due to safety risks.
The Congolese government clarified that there will be no automatic resettlement process for deportees. Instead, each case will be individually assessed in line with national laws and security considerations, suggesting a case-by-case approach to handling arrivals under the agreement.
