First US-Deported Migrants Arrive in Congo

The first group of migrants deported from the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo under a new bilateral agreement arrived in Kinshasa early Friday, marking the initial transfer of third-country deportees to the Central African nation.

The plane, carrying approximately 15 to 16 individuals from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, landed at around 1 a.m. GMT after a journey of about 26 to 27 hours. Flight records indicate it departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, with stops in Dakar, Senegal, and Accra, Ghana. Among the group were nine men and seven women, according to one Colombian migrant who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. An airport official confirmed the arrivals but provided no further details. Congo's interior ministry and presidential spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The deportees, all from Latin America, had received legal protections from U.S. federal judges preventing their return to home countries, said Alma David, a U.S.-based lawyer representing one of them. She noted that the smaller group size, compared to expectations of more than 30 this week, likely resulted from last-minute judicial interventions in at...