Crime or terror exclusions
Burundi’s government said Tuesday it would accept migrants deported from the United States under third-country arrangements, becoming the latest of several African nations to take part in the Trump administration’s deportation policy. The authorities in Bujumbura, the country’s economic capital, said Burundi will accept only those not accused of crime or terrorism links, according to Nancy Ninette Mutoni, a spokesperson for President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Tuesday’s announcement gave no details of numbers, timing, or financial details.
The US has sent so-called third-country deportees to some half a dozen African nations as well as many other countries, often where they have no ties, have never been, and find themselves detained indefinitely, under opaque deals that Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of dollars. In many cases, deportees had secured legal protections from US immigration courts against repatriation. Rights groups say the third-country deals allow the US to circumvent those protections.
Mutoni said preparations were underway to arrange accommodation, living conditions, and integration into local communities in Burundi. “Receiving them requires serious planning – where they will stay, what they will eat and how they will live alongside the local population,” she said.
On the question of potential citizenship, Mutoni said: “If they choose to join Burundian citizens and make a valuable contribution to national development, the law will be respected.” The agreement aimed to both strengthen diplomatic relations and provide hospitality to people in need, she added.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Burundi foreign ministry said details of the agreement were not yet available.