Latin American migrants deported from the U.S. face uncertainty and confinement in Congo

Fri, 01 May 2026 23:29:00 +0200

A group of Latin American migrants who sought asylum in the United States found themselves unexpectedly deported to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where they remain stranded under restrictive conditions. According to testimonies collected by AFP, the migrants endured a 27-hour journey while shackled and were only informed of their destination shortly before departure. Upon arrival in Kinshasa, they were housed in a guarded compound near the airport, where they have been unable to leave and have limited access to outside contact.

The deportations are part of a broader U.S. policy of sending undocumented migrants to third countries, including several African nations such as Cameroon, Rwanda, and South Sudan. These arrangements often involve financial or logistical support from the United States, though there is little transparency regarding the migrants’ long-term prospects in host countries. In Kinshasa, the migrants received short-term visas and minimal financial assistan