DR Congo to receive first group of deportees from US

The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive dozens of deportees from the United States this week, in what sources say is part of a broader effort by Washington to speed up migrant removals through agreements with African nations.

According to multiple sources, between 37 and 45 individuals are expected to arrive in the country by Friday. The deportees are not Congolese nationals, with some reportedly originating from Central and South America, based on court documents and officials familiar with the arrangement.

The move follows an agreement reached earlier this month between Kinshasa and the administration of Donald Trump, allowing the Central African nation to receive third-country deportees. It marks the first such group to be sent to DR Congo under the deal.

The development comes amid broader US engagement in the region, including efforts to broker peace between DR Congo and Rwanda over ongoing violence linked to M23 rebels in the country's east. It also follows a strategic agreement granting Washington preferential access to Congo's critical mineral resources.

Sources say the deportees will initially be housed in a hotel near the main airport in the capital, Kinshasa. However, details surrounding their long-term status and conditions remain unclear.

The United States has previously implemented similar transfers to African countries including Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini, sparking concerns over due process and the treatment of deportees. In some cases, individuals were later returned to their countries of origin despite having legal protections in the US.

A spokesperson for the Congolese government did not immediately comment on the latest development, although officials have previously indicated that the country would not bear financial responsibility for hosting deportees under such agreements.

The International Organization for Migration is expected to provide post-arrival humanitarian support, though it emphasized it is not involved in the deportation process itself, which is handled by the respective governments.