South American Migrants Transferred to DRC from Detention Centers

Fifteen South American migrants have been deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a controversial US policy, arriving in Kinshasa last Friday. The migrants, from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, are currently housed in a run-down hotel complex on the outskirts of the capital, known as Venus Village, and have been granted one-week visas while they decide whether to return to their home countries or remain in the DRC.

The deportations are occurring under agreements between the US and several African nations, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan, to accept migrants deported from the United States. The DRC Ministry of Communications announced earlier this month that it would temporarily accept these migrants, with the US government covering all associated costs.

Hugo Palencia, a 25-year-old Colombian deportee, described his experience to Radio France Internationale (RFI). “For now, my living conditions are stable. I have a room to sleep in, three meals a day and, at this stage, I feel fine,” Palencia said. He added that he had spent five months in US detention prior to his deportation to the DRC. He also stated he avoids going out on the streets for safety reasons.

Other deportees, speaking anonymously, recounted being given less than 24 hours’ notice before being deported from Louisiana. They described a 27-hour flight with layovers in Dakar and Accra, arriving at N’djili airport in Kinshasa in the middle of the night, facing intense heat, and humidity. Since their arrival, they have largely remained within the confines of Venus Village.

The DRC is one of the world’s 15 poorest countries and is thousands of kilometers from the Americas. None of the deported migrants speak French, the country’s official language, presenting a significant challenge to their integration.

A 29-year-old Colombian woman, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that the group feels pressured to return to their home countries despite safety concerns. We feel pressured to agree to go back to our country, regardless of the risks, she said.

The deportations are part of a broader effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to restrict immigration and expel immigrants, including those who have sought asylum. Some of the deported South Americans had reportedly filed for asylum in the US after fleeing persecution in their home countries.

Palencia questioned the rationale behind the US agreements with African countries, stating, “I don’t understand why the United States makes agreements with African countries.”

The operation is fully financed by the US, according to a statement released by Kinshasa earlier this month, and will not impact the Congolese public treasury.