DR Congo to Accept US‑Deported Third‑Country Nationals Under Controversial Trump Deal

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced that it will start receiving "third‑country" nationals deported from the United States this month, following a newly‑signed arrangement with the Trump administration. The Congolese Ministry of Communications confirmed the upcoming arrivals but did not disclose the expected number of deportees.

Described by Kinshasa as a temporary measure, the deal is framed as a demonstration of the DRC’s "commitment to human dignity and international solidarity." Under the terms, the United States will bear all costs, meaning the Congolese government incurs no financial burden.

The agreement arrives amid broader U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker a peace settlement between the DRC and Rwanda and to secure American access to the region’s critical minerals. Analysts suggest the deportation pact may be leveraged as diplomatic goodwill in these negotiations.

Human‑rights advocates have sharply criticized the practice of third‑country deportations. The United States has previously transferred migrants to African states such as Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini, prompting legal challenges and concerns over due‑process violations. In Uganda, legal groups recently announced that a dozen deportees were slated to arrive under a similar deal, with the Uganda Law Society filing a court challenge.

"Our perspective of the matter is broader than a single act of deportation. We view it as but one gust from the ill winds of transnational repression that are blowing across our world," said Asiimwe Anthony, vice‑president of the Uganda Law Society.

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants notes that third‑country deportations have been systematically pursued since February 2025, raising serious due‑process and safety concerns for individuals who have no choice over their destination.

According to a report by the Democratic staff of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Trump administration has already spent $40 million to relocate roughly 300 migrants to nations where they are not citizens, underscoring the scale and financial commitment of the policy.