April 14, 2026 | News | SUNTV Global Channel
The United States is facing growing backlash after finalising a controversial deal to deport dozens of foreign migrants to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a move critics say raises serious legal and humanitarian concerns.
According to multiple sources cited by Reuters, between 37 and 45 migrants—none of them Congolese nationals—are expected to arrive in Kinshasa by Friday. The deportees, reportedly from Central and South America, will be temporarily housed in a hotel near the country’s main international airport.
This marks the first group to be transferred under a newly sealed “third-country deportation” agreement between the Congolese government and the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal, formally announced on April 5, allows migrants expelled from the United States to be sent to countries other than their own.
Sources say the migrants will stay in Congo for about 10 to 15 days, with accommodation in single rooms, two meals daily, and limited freedom of movement. Security at the facility will reportedly be handled by Congolese police alongside a private security firm.
However, the arrangement has triggered outrage among human rights organisations and opposition figures in Congo, who question both its legality and ethical implications. Critics warn that the migrants could be left stranded in a foreign country where they have no legal status, support system, or long-term protection.
The timing of the deal has also raised eyebrows, coming amid broader diplomatic and economic engagements between Washington and Kinshasa. The U.S. has been pushing for a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda over the ongoing conflict involving the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in eastern Congo—a crisis that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many more.
At the same time, both nations recently signed a strategic agreement granting the United States preferential access to Congo’s vast reserves of critical minerals. This has fueled speculation that the deportation deal may be tied to wider geopolitical negotiations.
While Congolese authorities previously stated they would not bear any financial responsibility for hosting deportees, officials have remained largely silent on the specifics of the latest arrangement. A government spokesperson did not respond to inquiries as of Tuesday.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department has also declined to provide details, stating it does not comment on diplomatic communications.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has clarified that it is not involved in the deportation process itself but may offer humanitarian assistance if requested by Congolese authorities.
This is not the first time the U.S. has relied on African countries to receive deportees from other regions. Similar arrangements have been made with nations such as Ghana, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea—moves that have drawn criticism from legal experts who argue such practices may violate international asylum protections.
Court documents further reveal troubling cases, including migrants from Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Guatemala who were recently notified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that they would be deported to Congo. In one instance, a Peruvian national who had secured legal protection against deportation to Peru due to fears of persecution was still scheduled for removal to Africa.
With no clear plan for what happens after the initial 10–15-day stay, rights groups warn that this could mark the beginning of a wider, opaque deportation pipeline—one that leaves vulnerable migrants in limbo far from home.
As of now, both the United States and Congolese governments have yet to disclose how many more migrants could be affected under the agreement.
