US President Donald Trump’s administration is targeting DR Congo as a location to send deportees, triggering scrutiny about possible violations of international law.
The US deported 15 South American migrants to DR Congo this week under a third-country expulsion deal, according to reports. The State Department has reportedly also discussed relocating more than 1,100 Afghans — currently in temporary housing in Qatar — to the Central African nation.
DR Congo, which has courted the Trump administration through critical minerals agreements and lobbying, joins a growing list of African nations, including Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda, that have signed third-country deportation deals with Washington. Democrats estimate the administration has spent at least $40 million on these deportations.
In a statement to Semafor, a State Department spokesperson defended plans to relocate the Afghans to a third country, calling it “a positive resolution that provides safety.”