Burundi agrees to receive ‘third-country’ migrant deportees from US

Burundi has reached an agreement to accept deportees sent from the United States who originated in other nations, becoming the latest African country to take part in third-country deportation arrangements under the administration of President Donald Trump.

Officials in Bujumbura, the economic hub of Burundi, stated that the country would only admit individuals who face no criminal charges and have no suspected connections to terrorism. The initial announcement did not reveal the schedule, the number of people to be relocated, or any financial terms associated with the pact, according to The Guardian.

Nancy Ninette Mutoni, representing Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, said the government is currently working out logistical details concerning housing, sustenance, and assimilation for arriving migrants. She noted that receiving these individuals necessitates careful coordination regarding their day-to-day living arrangements and how they interact with nearby residents. Mutoni added that the government intends to follow existing legal frameworks should any arrivals seek to establish long-term roots and contribute toward the nation's economic development. She further stated that the arrangement is designed to bolster foreign relations while extending assistance to displaced individuals.

Washington has transferred foreign nationals to around six countries in Africa and several other destinations worldwide as part of its third-country deportation program. These arrangements frequently involve sending migrants to territories where they lack personal or cultural connections, sometimes resulting in prolonged detention upon arrival. Democratic lawmakers in the US Senate have asserted that these arrangements carry a cost running into tens of millions of dollars.

Human rights advocates have raised alarms regarding the policy, pointing out that many targeted individuals had previously obtained judicial orders from American immigration courts shielding them from deportation back to their places of origin. Critics argue that transferring these individuals to third countries provides an avenue for US authorities to bypass established court protections.

The US State Department did not immediately address inquiries regarding the development. In Burundi, an official with the foreign ministry indicated that full specifics of the agreement were still being finalized.