The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive its first group of deportees from the United States later this week, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
More than 30 individuals—reportedly between 37 and 45—are expected to arrive in Congo by Friday. Notably, the deportees are not Congolese nationals, but rather migrants from other regions, including Central and South America.
The transfer follows an agreement announced on April 5 under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a new step in Washington’s strategy to accelerate migrant removals through partnerships with African countries. This will be the first instance of third-country deportees being sent to Congo under such a deal.
Sources say the deportees will initially be accommodated in a hotel near the main airport in Kinshasa for a period of 10 to 15 days. During this time, they will be housed in single rooms, provided with two daily meals, and allowed limited freedom of movement. Security will be handled by national police alongside a private firm.
The long-term plan for the deportees remains unclear, with neither Washington nor Kinshasa disclosing how many individuals may ultimately be transferred under the agreement.
The move comes amid broader U.S. engagement in the region, including efforts to broker peace between Congo and Rwanda over ongoing conflict involving Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. It also follows a strategic partnership granting the U.S. preferential access to Congo’s critical mineral resources.
Human rights groups and opposition figures in Congo have raised concerns over the arrangement, questioning both the legal basis of transferring migrants to countries where they are not citizens and the conditions they may face upon arrival.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is expected to provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance to the deportees, although it emphasized that it is not involved in the deportation process itself.
Previous U.S. deportation efforts have sent third-country migrants to African nations such as Ghana, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea—moves that have similarly drawn criticism from legal experts and advocacy groups.
Officials from both governments have so far declined to comment in detail on the arrangement, leaving key questions about the deportees’ future unresolved.