DR Congo prepares for first US deportee arrivals under new deal

The Democratic Republic of Congo is preparing to receive its first group of third-country deportees from the United States this week, according to a Reuters report. The migrants are expected to be housed near Kinshasa’s main airport as authorities begin implementing the new arrangement.

Sources cited by Reuters said the first group could include more than 30 people, all from countries other than Congo, with at least some coming from Central and South America. The report said they may stay in a hotel for 10 to 15 days while the longer-term plan remains unclear.

The move follows an earlier announcement that Congo would begin receiving deportees this month under a temporary agreement with Washington. Another report said that in Kinshasa the arrangement as temporary and said the United States would cover the logistics.

Reuters also reported that the International Organization for Migration could provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance if requested by Congolese authorities. On its official platforms, IOM says the DRC is already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, underscoring the sensitivity of any new migration-related arrangement.

The arrivals would mark the first known transfer of non-Congolese deportees to the DRC under the deal, extending Washington’s broader use of third-country deportation agreements in Africa. Questions remain over how many people will ultimately be sent and what will happen after the initial accommodation period.