Burundi has agreed to accept migrants deported by the United States to a country where they are not citizens, joining several African nations involved in Washington’s expanded “third-country” deportation policy. Presidential spokesperson Nancy Ninette Mutoni said Burundi would accept people who are not facing criminal prosecution and have no links to terrorism. She said preparations were underway to provide accommodation and help the deportees integrate into local communities.
The government has not disclosed how many people it has agreed to receive, when they would arrive or details of any financial arrangements. Reuters reported that Burundi is preparing housing and other support, while the U.S. State Department has not publicly provided details of the agreement. The announcement came after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allowed the Trump administration to resume third-country deportations while it considers the wider legality of the policy. The court’s September 29 decision lifted a lower-court restriction that had required migrants facing removal to receive an opportunity to raise concerns about persecution or torture in the receiving country.
The United States has already deported migrants to several countries where they have no previous connection. The policy has drawn criticism from immigration lawyers and human-rights groups, who say some deportees could face detention, abuse or further removal to countries where they could be at risk. The U.S. government argues that third-country removals are necessary when migrants’ countries of origin refuse to take them back. Burundi’s decision adds to a growing network of countries receiving migrants under U.S. deportation arrangements. The number of people to be sent to Burundi and the timetable for their arrival remain unclear.
