The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has announced it will begin accepting "third-country" nationals deported from the United States under a new deal with the administration of US President Donald Trump. The Congolese Ministry of Communications stated on Sunday that deportees will start arriving this month, without providing details on the expected number of arrivals.

The arrangement is described as "temporary" and reflects Congo's "commitment to human dignity and international solidarity." According to the statement, the US will cover all deportation costs, with the Congolese government incurring no expenses.

This announcement comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to broker a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda and to secure US access to Congolese critical minerals. The US regime has previously sent third-country deportees to African nations including Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini, drawing criticism from legal experts and rights groups over the legal basis for such transfers and the treatment of deportees sent to countries where they are not nationals.

Last week, legal groups in Uganda announced that dozens of deportees were set to arrive in the country following a deal with Trump. Uganda Law Society Vice President Asiimwe Anthony stated that the group had filed a court challenge against the deportation, calling it "one gust from the ill winds of transnational repression blowing across our world."

According to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, third-country deportations have been "systematically pursued" since February 2025. The committee warns this practice raises serious due process and human rights concerns, particularly when receiving countries may not be safe. A report from Democratic staff of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee reveals the Trump administration has spent at least $40 million to deport approximately 300 migrants to countries other than their own.

Source: www.aljazeera.com