Key facts
- Nine of 15 migrants deported from the US to the Democratic Republic of Congo have returned to their home countries.
- The migrants arrived in Congo on April 17 as part of a bilateral agreement with the Trump administration.
- Seven migrants returned with help from the International Organization for Migration.
- The remaining migrants include three Colombians and three Ecuadorians.
Nine out of 15 migrants deported from the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo in April have since returned to their home countries. Congo's government confirmed that more than half of the deportees have departed, with others expected to leave shortly. The 15 migrants arrived in Congo on April 17 as part of a bilateral agreement with the Trump administration to accept third-country deportees. A Colombian migrant remaining in Kinshasa and her lawyer stated that nine migrants had returned, including four Peruvians and five Colombians. The remaining migrants include three Colombians and three Ecuadorians. The government did not specify if the returns were voluntary, but the Colombian migrant indicated seven returned with assistance from the International Organization for Migration, while two left independently. Previous reports indicated some migrants had received legal protection in the U.S., raising questions about the basis for their transfers and treatment in countries where they are not nationals.