The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is ranked 163rd out of 182 countries by the non-governmental organisation Transparency International for 2025, which indicates a high level of corruption. Corruption affects many sectors, including the judiciary, public administration, finance, natural resource management, education and health. Studies and reports consulted highlight that corruption is deeply ingrained in institutional functioning, where practices such as bribery, influence peddling and political interference are commonplace. Furthermore, several sources describe endemic corruption within the state, which leads to significant financial losses and undermines governance, development, and the rule of law.
The country has a legal framework in line with international anti-corruption standards, including constitutional, criminal and sector-specific provisions. Several specialised institutions have also been established to prevent and combat corruption.
However, sources point out that the fight against corruption in the DRC is hampered by structural factors such as impunity, political interference, and judicial dysfunction. Despite the existence of a legal framework and specialised institutions, law enforcement remains weak, penalties are rare and offer little deterrent, and oversight mechanisms are ineffective. This situation contributes to the persistence of systemic corruption and the ineffectiveness of anti-corruption policies.
With regard to forged documents, online media outlets have published various examples of practices currently in use in the country. These include driving licences, banknotes, diplomas and voter registration cards, in particular.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.