US deportees : Ndayishimiye welcomes deportees while Burundi burdens itself with its own crises

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, October 8, 2026 — Burundi has already taken in twelve people deported from the United States while the country faces severe economic hardship, widespread prison overcrowding, and persistent shortages. In a report published Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns of the risks associated with transferring third-country nationals to several African states and denounces the lack of safeguards for their rights. Despite these concerns, President Évariste Ndayishimiye maintains that Burundi remains willing to welcome more people deported by Washington.

The Human Rights Watch report documents the deportations of people who are not returned to their countries of origin but transferred to African states with which they sometimes have no connection. According to the organization, more than 500 people were sent to African countries between January 2025 and August 2026.

HRW says it interviewed 24 people transferred to six African countries. Some reported being handcuffed or shackled during their transfer, receiving little information about their destination, and facing difficult conditions upon arrival. The organization warns of the risks of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and subsequent deportation to countries where some individuals could face persecution or torture.

Twelve people have already arrived.

Burundi is therefore no longer just a country likely to receive deported Americans. It has already received them.

According to Human Rights Watch, twelve people—eleven men and one woman from Angola, Cameroon, Mauritania, and Sudan—were transferred from the United States to Burundi on a flight that arrived on August 27, 2026.

Discussions between Gitega and Washington began in December 2025. In February 2026, the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the transferred individuals would be cared for in accordance with Burundi’s international obligations and that the country did not wish to accept individuals who had committed violent crimes.

The issue recently resurfaced during a public broadcast held in Ngozi, Butanyerera Province, in northern Burundi, on September 29. Journalists asked Nancy Ninette Mutoni, spokesperson for President Évariste Ndayishimiye, whether Burundi would continue to accept individuals deported from the United States.

She confirmed Burundi’s willingness to accept the transfers, while specifying that the individuals involved would not face legal repercussions.

“It’s a process that is underway,” the spokesperson stated, without specifying how many more people might arrive or when. Information reported by the Associated Press also indicates that Burundian authorities have not provided a precise timeline or a final number of people to be received.

According to an official from the Ministry of Justice, the transferred individuals are to be hosted in a center located in Gitega, Burundi’s political capital.

“But very few people have been informed of this arrival,” this source stated.

This lack of communication is fueling questions about the conditions under which these individuals were transferred and their care in Burundi.

What does Burundi gain from this?

Another question that is raising concerns the potential quid pro quo of this arrangement with Washington.

When asked what Burundi might gain in return, Nancy Ninette Mutoni dismissed the idea of ​​cooperation based solely on the pursuit of material benefits. Instead, she emphasized the country’s tradition of hospitality towards those in need.

According to her, this initiative could also contribute to strengthening Burundi’s ties with other nations.

“The country prioritizes peace, increasing the number of good friends, and fostering positive relationships,” she stated.

The presidential spokesperson also sought to reassure the public regarding concerns expressed within the country, asserting that this decision should not cause any problems for Burundi.

President Évariste Ndayishimiye himself confirmed cooperation with Washington in an interview with France 24 in late September, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Burundi among several African countries

Burundi is not the only African country to have agreed to receive people deported from the United States.

Human Rights Watch indicates that Washington has negotiated or concluded arrangements with several countries on the continent, including Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda.

According to HRW, 536 people were transferred to African countries between January 20, 2025, and August 5, 2026, based on data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration and customs laws.

The organization states that some people sent to Eswatini, Ghana, and South Sudan were arbitrarily detained or ill-treated. It also reports that some people transferred to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana were subsequently returned to their countries of origin, where they allegedly faced risks of persecution or torture.

Human Rights Watch believes these practices raise serious questions about the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning a person to a country where they risk persecution or torture.

The organization calls on the African governments concerned to suspend or terminate these arrangements and demands greater transparency regarding the conditions of transfer and care.

Burundi already under severe pressure

The reception of deportees comes at a time when the country is already struggling to meet the needs of a population facing significant economic and social challenges.

The fuel shortage, which has persisted for several years, continues to disrupt transportation and economic activity. Supply difficulties also affect the daily lives of households and contribute to increasing the cost of many goods and services. Human Rights Watch also describes an economy marked by high inflation, fuel shortages, and difficulties accessing foreign currency.

Added to this situation is the immense pressure on the prison system.

As of July 31, 2026, Burundi’s eleven prisons held 12,228 inmates, despite an official capacity of 4,294 places, representing an occupancy rate of 284.8%, according to data from the World Prison Brief.

This overcrowding is a long-standing issue. A report by ACAT-Burundi indicated 12,749 inmates as of December 31, 2025, for the same official capacity of 4,294 places.

Burundi also faces challenges in accessing essential services and significant needs in employment, healthcare, education, and social protection.

In this context, the decision to accept individuals deported by the United States raises a simple question : what additional resources does Burundi intend to mobilize to house and support them?

The authorities have not yet made public the budget allocated to their care, the duration of their stay, their precise legal status, or the conditions under which they will have access to essential services.

Guarantees still vague

For Burundian authorities, the operation is presented as a gesture of hospitality and an opportunity to strengthen relations with Washington and other partners.

But for human rights defenders, the guarantees offered to the transferred individuals are the main issue.

The fact that these people are not from Burundi also raises questions about their future. Will they be free to move around? Will they be able to work? Will they have access to healthcare and other essential services? What will happen if they refuse to return to their country of origin?

These are all questions to which the Burundian authorities have not yet provided detailed public answers.

With twelve people already transferred to Burundi and more arrivals possible, the cooperation between Gitega and Washington presents the government of Évariste Ndayishimiye with a dual challenge : preserving the diplomatic benefits it claims to seek while guaranteeing the rights of those being received.

This situation arises in a country already facing severe economic difficulties, a persistent fuel crisis, and widespread prison overcrowding.