“We are a country that is so rich that we’re not selfish, and we don’t harass foreigners in the streets to ask for their identity papers.”
Kinshasa — Residents of Kinshasa, the bustling capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have voiced strong reactions to recent comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding migration from their country.
During a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Trump stated, “many, many people come from the Congo. I don’t know what that is, but they came from the Congo and all over the world they came in.”
The remarks, made as part of a broader discussion on migration and U.S. border security, have sparked a wave of responses in Kinshasa and drawn international attention.
Local Reactions: Pride and Rebuttal
In Kinshasa, Trump’s comments were met with a mix of frustration and pride. Jonathan Bawolo, a local resident, responded, “We are a country that is so rich that we’re not selfish, and we don’t harass foreigners in the streets to ask for their identity papers.”
Other residents echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the DRC’s natural wealth, hospitality, and openness to foreigners.
“Congo is a prosperous country unlike any of its neighbors. We find everything here… we lack nothing. The important thing is that Congo is a rich and hospitable country. We want foreigners to come so that we can develop this great immense Congo,” said another Kinshasa resident.
Many locals drew comparisons between the DRC’s treatment of foreigners and the rhetoric coming from the United States, expressing disappointment at being singled out in U.S. political discourse. Some noted that this was not the first time African countries had been referenced negatively in U.S. politics, and called for greater mutual respect in international relations.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims
President Trump’s remarks are part of a pattern of statements he has made about migrants from various countries, often without supporting evidence. He has repeatedly claimed that countries like the DRC are sending large numbers of migrants, including criminals, to the U.S. However, journalists and independent fact-checkers have found no evidence to support these assertions.
U.S. border officials have encountered migrants from the DRC more than 2,000 times during the Biden administration, but experts on prisons and migration say there is no indication that Congolese authorities are releasing prisoners to send to the U.S.
Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, stated, “We have looked into this on the DRC side and have seen no evidence of this.” Similarly, Amnesty International’s Central Africa researcher and other experts confirmed there is no substantiated link between Congolese prison releases and migration to the U.S.
The governments of both the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and the neighboring Republic of Congo have also publicly
rejected Trump’s claims, calling them false and unfounded.
Migration Context
While the DRC has faced significant internal displacement due to ongoing violence and insecurity-over 6.2 million people are displaced and 1 million have sought asylum, mostly within Africa – most Congolese refugees in the U.S. arrive through legal channels and must pass security background checks.
Between 2021 and 2022, approximately 12,600 refugees from the DRC arrived in the U.S., with no evidence suggesting these arrivals were part of any government-run effort to send criminals abroad.
Broader Implications
Sociologists and analysts note that Trump’s rhetoric fits a longstanding pattern in U.S. politics, where migrants from non-Western countries are portrayed as threats during election cycles. Such narratives have historically been used to mobilize voters but often lack factual basis.
Kinshasa residents continue to express pride in their country’s resources and hospitality, pushing back against what they view as mischaracterizations from abroad. As fact-checkers and officials debunk Trump’s claims, the episode underscores the importance of accurate information and respectful international dialogue.
Kinshasa Residents Ridicule Trump’s Congo Migration Claims (April 28, 2025)
#Kinshasa #Congo #Trump #Migration #DRCongo #USPolitics #Immigration #AfricaNews #GlobalVoices
Tags: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Donald Trump, migration, U.S. politics, Giorgia Meloni, Congolese migrants, international relations, immigration, Africa
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