The Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to accept illegal immigrants deported by the United States who are not Congolese nationals, under an agreement set to take effect in April.
Authorities in the country said a temporary reception system has been established, with facilities selected in the capital, Kinshasa, to accommodate the arrivals.
The United States will provide “logistical and technical support,” while the Congolese government will not bear the financial burden of the program.
Officials did not specify how many deportees would be accepted, according to a BBC report.
The U.S. has already transferred deportees to several African countries as part of its broader immigration crackdown. DR Congo now joins other nations on the continent—including Eswatini, Ghana, and South Sudan—that are receiving deportees. Just last week, eight individuals from various African countries were deported to Uganda.
According to a report by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Trump administration had “likely” spent more than $40 million on deportations to third countries by January 2026, although the total cost remains unclear. The U.S. has directly provided over $32 million to five countries: Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau.
At the same time, Washington is negotiating a minerals agreement with DR Congo to secure access to the country’s vast reserves of key resources, including cobalt, tantalum, lithium, and copper.
Under President Trump, the U.S. has also brokered a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda, although its implementation remains uncertain.
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