Burundi has agreed to receive migrants from other countries deported from the United States, joining several African nations participating in arrangements linked to President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
Nancy Ninette Mutoni, spokesperson for President Evariste Ndayishimiye, said Burundi would only accept deportees who are not accused of crimes or linked to terrorism.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, did not specify how many people Burundi would receive, when transfers would begin or whether the agreement involved financial payments from Washington.
The United States has already sent third-country deportees to several African countries under agreements that have drawn scrutiny from rights groups and Democratic lawmakers.
Some deportees transferred under such arrangements had previously received legal protection from US immigration courts preventing their return to their countries of origin. Rights organisations have argued that sending them to third countries risks circumventing those protections.
Mutoni said Burundian authorities were preparing accommodation and other arrangements for those who may arrive.
“Receiving them requires serious planning — where they will stay, what they will eat and how they will live alongside the local population,” she said.
She added that deportees who later chose to settle permanently in Burundi and contribute to the country could pursue their status in accordance with Burundian law.
According to Mutoni, the agreement was intended both to strengthen Burundi’s diplomatic relations and to provide assistance to people in need.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Burundi’s foreign ministry said further details of the agreement were not yet available.
