KIGALI, Rwanda – Rwanda is in the initial stages of discussions to accept immigrants deported from the United States, according to Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
In a recent interview with Rwanda TV, Nduhungirehe confirmed that talks are ongoing but have not yet reached a stage where concrete details can be disclosed.
Rwanda has increasingly positioned itself as a destination for migrants that Western countries, particularly the U.S. and the UK, seek to deport.
This is not the first such agreement, as Rwanda previously signed a controversial deal with Britain in 2022 to take in asylum seekers, though the agreement was scrapped last year after the UK’s change in leadership.
The U.S. has been aggressively pursuing deportations under President Trump’s administration, which sought to increase the removal of undocumented immigrants and non-citizens, including refugees.
Rights groups have raised concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record, with the UNHCR warning that deported migrants could face risks of being sent back to the countries from which they fled.
Rwanda has denied these allegations, accusing the UNHCR of spreading false information.
The U.S. recently deported an Iraqi refugee to Rwanda, despite attempts by the U.S. to extradite him due to alleged links to the Islamic State.
