Burundi Agrees to Accept Third-Country Deportees From U.S., With Conditions
By Clement Manirabarusha
BUJUMBURA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Burundi has agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States to third countries under President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policy, joining a small group of African nations that have struck similar arrangements with Washington.
The decision was announced Tuesday by Nancy Ninette Mutoni, spokesperson for President Evariste Ndayishimiye. She said Burundi would accept only deportees who are not accused of crimes or links to terrorism.
The announcement provided no details on how many people Burundi would take, when they would arrive, or how the arrangement would be financed.
Washington has sent so-called third-country deportees to about half a dozen African nations through opaque deals that Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of dollars. The agreements have raised concern because many deportees had won legal protections from U.S. immigration courts against being returned to their home countries, while rights groups argue the third-country deals let the U.S. bypass those safeguards.
Mutoni said preparations were underway to arrange accommodation, living conditions, and integration into communities. "Receiving them requires serious planning — where they will stay, what they will eat and how they will live alongside the local population," she said.
Asked about the possibility of citizenship, she said: "If they choose to join Burundian citizens and make a valuable contribution to national development, the law will be respected."
The spokesperson added that Burundi's aim was both to strengthen diplomatic relations and to offer hospitality to people in need. The arrangement could deepen Burundi's engagement with Washington at a time when the East African country has sought to rebuild international ties, though it also carries political and logistical risks for a government with limited resources.
The U.S. State Department told Reuters in an email late Wednesday that it does "not comment on the details of our private diplomatic communications with other governments." A spokesperson for Burundi's foreign ministry said Wednesday that the details of the agreement were not yet available.
(Reporting by Clement Manirabarusha; Writing by Vincent Mumo Nzilani; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Stephen Coates)