Burundi Agrees to Accept U.S. Deportees Under Specific Conditions
The East African nation will accept deportees who are not facing criminal charges and have no ties to terrorism, with preparations underway for their arrival.
Burundi has agreed to accept individuals deported by the United States, provided they do not have prior connections to the East African nation, no pending criminal charges, and no links to terrorism, according to a spokesperson for Burundi's president.
Nancy Ninette Mutoni stated Tuesday that while preparations are being made to accommodate and integrate deportees into local communities, details regarding the number of individuals and their arrival timeline remain vague. "Receiving them requires serious planning — where they will stay, what they will eat and how they will live alongside the local population," Mutoni said during an event in Ngozi.
The Trump administration has previously expanded its policy of third-country deportations, sending individuals to countries where they are not citizens and may have never resided. The U.S. has sent deportees to several African nations, including Eswatini and South Sudan.
A U.S. appeals court ruling last week cast uncertainty on such programs. The ruling, which did not halt third-country deportations entirely, mandates that individuals facing removal must be given a meaningful opportunity to voice concerns about potential persecution or torture. The U.S. administration has defended the policy as essential in cases where deportees' home countries refuse their return.