Fifteen men and women, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Peruvian migrants expelled from the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have been stranded in a hotel near Kinshasa for five days. They described spending 27 hours on a plane, handcuffed, before finally landing in the DRC. Gabriela, a 30-year-old Colombian, expressed fear and uncertainty about being in the DRC, a country thousands of kilometers away from the Americas.
This marks the first time the DRC has received migrants expelled from the United States, joining other African countries like Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, Cameroon, and Eswatini in accepting foreign nationals under a controversial U.S. migration program. Details about the migrants’ welfare after arrival are scarce, with little information on their future.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) offers voluntary assisted return to migrants when requested, upon obtaining short-stay permits from host countries. The migrants, now in Kinshasa, spend their days in a hotel complex near the airport, confined and unable to leave the premises under police and military presence.
Stranded by President Trump’s migration policies, the migrants face challenges communicating in French, the official language of the DRC, and rely on mobile phones to contact their families. They received some financial assistance from IOM agents but face health issues without proper medical care. Some residents were granted a seven-day visa, extendable for three months, but fear being left stranded if their support ends.
Gabriela expresses frustration at the pressure to accept repatriation or face uncertain conditions in the DRC, calling it inhumane and unjust. Despite some positive experiences at the hotel, concerns about their future and lack of work permits create uncertainty among the migrants from South America. The arrival of these migrants has sparked strong reactions in Congolese civil society and social media.
Hugo Palencia Ropero, a 25-year-old Colombian, shares his mixed feelings about being in Africa, having spent five months in detention in the U.S. before being deported to the DRC. He worries about the future without proper documentation or employment opportunities, highlighting the challenges they face without clear direction.
