Congo Says It Will Accept US Deportees Originating From Other Nations

The Congolese government stated on April 5 that it will start receiving U.S. deportees originating from other countries starting this month.

The Congolese Ministry of Communications stated that the arrangement would be temporary and is part of an agreement with the United States. It did not provide details of the agreement or specify how many third-country deportees will arrive.

The U.S. government will pay for the cost of the arrangement, and Congo will incur no expense, according to the ministry. It noted that facilities have been set up in the capital city of ⁠Kinshasa to house the deportees.

The ministry stated that the move underscores Congo’s commitment to “human dignity and international solidarity,” noting that each deportee will be subject to an individual review for national security reasons.

“This mechanism, with no impact on the public treasury, is in line with respect for national sovereignty, security requirements, and the country’s international commitments,” the ministry stated in a post on X.

Congo retains full control over the admission of deportees in its territory, their conditions of stay, the withdrawal of temporary status, and mechanisms for returning or removing the deportees in accordance with the country’s legislation, according to the ministry’s statement.

“No automatic transfer is provided, and each situation will be subject to an individual examination in accordance with the laws of the Republic and national security requirements,” the ministry said in a statement written in French.

The United States has transferred third-country deportees to several African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, ​Equatorial ​Guinea, and Eswatini.

In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent five criminal illegal immigrants—originally from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen—to Eswatini after their home countries refused to take them.

Last month, the U.S. government signed an initial agreement with Costa Rica under which the Central American nation agreed to take in up to 25 third-country nationals deported from the United States each week.

The nonbinding memorandum of understanding gives the country full authority to set specific criteria or reject proposed transfers. Similar arrangements or discussions have taken place with Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, and Mexico, as well as other nations willing to serve as temporary or permanent hosts.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last year introduced an app designed to facilitate self-deportation for immigrants living illegally in the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily, with a $2,600 exit bonus payment, rather than face action from U.S. law enforcement.

“People in our country illegally can self-deport the easy way, or they can get deported the hard way. And that’s not pleasant,” Trump said in a video uploaded to X on March 18, 2025.

Reuters and Kimberly Hayek contributed to this report.