Fifteen South American people deported from the US arrive in DR Congo

The deportees from South America are the first to be sent to the DRC in a deal agreed between Washington and KinshasaFifteen people who were deported from the United States have arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).The deportees landed in the capital, Kinshasa, overnight Thursday to Friday as part of an agreement between the US and the DRC.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran foreign minister says Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open’list 2 of 3Macron demands assurances after Iran opens Strait of Hormuzlist 3 of 3Record number of Rohingya refugees died at sea last year, UNHCR saysend of list“The first group, that includes seven women, is made up of nationals from Peru and Ecuador,” a diplomatic source told the Anadolu news agency.An official at the DRC migration agency confirmed the arrivals but did not provide details, The Associated Press news agency reported.US lawyer Alma David, who represents one of the deportees, said the deportees are all from Latin America, and the Congolese government plans to keep them in the country for a short period.All the deportees are believed to have legal protection from US judges shielding them against being returned to their home countries, David told The AP.The DRC Ministry of Communications announced earlier this month that it would temporarily accept migrants deported from the US.It said that Washington would cover the costs involved, and that facilities had been prepared near Kinshasa to accommodate them.The news agency Reuters has reported that the DRC was set to receive more than 30 deportees this week. Other migrants are expected to arrive in groups of about 50 a month, the AFP news agency has reported, citing sources, with the total number to be taken unknown.The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the DRC asked the UN agency for humanitarian assistance with the migrants.