Key facts
- Burundi will accept migrants deported from the US.
- Deportees must not be accused of crime or terrorism links.
- Preparations are underway for accommodation and integration of deportees.
- The US has sent third-country deportees to several African nations under opaque deals.
Burundi has agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States, joining a group of African nations involved in the US's third-country deportee program under President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The agreement specifies that Burundi will only accept individuals not accused of criminal activity or terrorism links, according to Nancy Ninette Mutoni, spokesperson for President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Mutoni stated that preparations are in progress to arrange accommodation, living conditions, and integration plans for the deportees into local communities. She added that if the deportees choose to join Burundian citizens and contribute to national development, the law will be respected regarding potential citizenship. Burundi aims to strengthen diplomatic relations and offer hospitality to those in need through this initiative.
The US has previously sent deportees to approximately half a dozen African countries through deals that Senate Democrats claim have cost tens of millions of dollars. Rights groups have raised concerns that these third-country agreements allow the US to bypass immigration court protections that some deportees have secured against repatriation.