Deported South Americans in DRC Report Coercion to Return Home Despite Safety Fears

Fifteen South American migrants and asylum seekers recently sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under a Trump administration deportation agreement say they are being pressured to return to their home countries, raising concerns about their personal safety.

Women from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador reported to Reuters that since arriving in the Central African nation last week, they have faced limited alternatives beyond returning to their countries of origin.

"We feel pressured to agree to go back to our country, regardless of the risks," stated a 29-year-old Colombian woman who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, speaking with Reuters.

Controversial Deportation Program

The group's arrival in the DRC came as part of a contentious third-country deportation initiative under US President Donald Trump's administration. Since beginning his second presidential term, Trump has pursued aggressive policies aimed at restricting immigration and removing foreign nationals from the United States, including some individuals with legal status.

Among the 15 deported South Americans, several had formally requested asylum protection in the United States after experiencing persecution in their home countries.

Cases Raising Legal and Humanitarian Questions

One Colombian woman documented in her January 2024 asylum petition that she fled her country after being kidnapped and tortured by armed militants and abused by her ex-husband, a law enforcement officer. According to court documents examined by Reuters, a US immigration judge determined in May 2025 that she would likely face torture if returned to Colombia.

Another Colombian woman, identified as Gabriela, age 30, learned of her impending deportation to the DRC just one day before the flight, according to reporting by AFP. During the 27-hour transport, deportees were kept in restraints on their hands and feet.

"I didn't want to go to Congo," Gabriela told AFP. "I'm scared; I don't know the language."

Advocacy Groups Question Strategy

Civil rights organizations have characterized third-country deportations as a deliberate intimidation tactic designed to pressure migrants and asylum seekers into voluntarily departing the United States.

These removals send individuals to unfamiliar destinations, many of which face documented human rights violations or ongoing armed conflicts—circumstances that apply to the DRC.

"The goal is clear: Put people in a place so unfamiliar that they give up and agree to return home, despite the immense risk they face there," explained Alma David, a United States-based attorney representing one of the asylum seekers now in the DRC.