Rights activists have accused the Trump administration of using deportations to third countries to intimidate asylum seekers and immigrants.
Published April 22, 2026
Fifteen South American migrants and asylum seekers recently deported from the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) say they are under pressure to return to their country of origin despite concerns for their safety.
Women from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador told Reuters they had been given no credible option but to return to their home countries since being deported to the central African country last week.
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“I feel pressured to agree to return, regardless of the risks,” a 29-year-old Colombian woman, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, told Reuters.
The group arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week as part of a controversial third country agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Since returning to office for a second term, President Trump has taken aggressive measures to restrict immigration to the United States and expel immigrants already in the country, some of whom have legal status.
Some of the 15 South Americans deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo sought asylum in the United States after fleeing persecution in their home country.
For example, a 29-year-old woman wrote in her January 2024 asylum application that she left Colombia after being kidnapped and tortured by armed groups, as well as being abused by her ex-husband, a police officer.
A U.S. immigration judge ruled in May 2025 that she would likely face torture if returned to the country, according to court records reviewed by Reuters.
AFP also reported that a 30-year-old Colombian woman named Gabriela only learned she would be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo the day before she boarded the plane last week. During the 27-hour journey, the exiles had their hands and feet shackled.
“I didn’t want to go to Congo,” she told AFP. “I’m scared because I don’t understand the language.”
Immigration advocates say deportations to third countries are an effort to blackmail immigrants and asylum seekers into agreeing to leave the United States.
Such forced migration involves sending migrants to unfamiliar places. Many regions, including the DRC, are known for human rights issues or are hot spots for active conflict.
“The goal is clear: send people to a place so unfamiliar that they give up and agree to return despite the immense risks they face there,” said Alma David, a U.S.-based lawyer who represents one of the asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
