Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States who are not Congolese, officials announced, with a deal coming into effect this month.
The Congolese Ministry of Communication said a temporary reception system has been established, including selected facilities in the capital, Kinshasa, to accommodate arrivals. Logistical and technical support for the scheme will be provided by the US, while the Congolese government will bear no financial cost, the statement added.
The government did not specify how many deportees would be accepted. Officials emphasized that no deportees would be returned to their countries of origin, where some may face persecution.
“These measures align with DR Congo’s commitment to human dignity, international solidarity, and the protection of migrant rights,” the statement said, stressing that the scheme is not a permanent relocation mechanism or an outsourcing of migration policy.
The US State Department declined to comment on diplomatic discussions but reiterated its commitment to “end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
Under the Trump administration, dozens of migrants have been deported to third countries, with Africa seeing a number of such deportations. DR Congo joins countries including Eswatini, Ghana, and South Sudan in accepting third-country deportees. Last week, eight migrants were deported to Uganda.
A minority US Senate report suggests the Trump administration has likely spent over $40 million on third-country deportations up to January 2026, with more than $32 million provided directly to five countries including Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau.
The agreement coincides with ongoing US-DR Congo economic and diplomatic initiatives, including negotiations on access to the country’s rich mineral reserves such as cobalt, tantalum, lithium, and copper, as well as facilitation of a peace deal with Rwanda.
