Rwanda has announced its agreement to accept up to 250 migrants from the United States, under a deal initially established during the administration of President Donald Trump.
Government spokesperson Yolande Makole confirmed to the BBC that the arrangement would provide deportees with “workforce training, health care, and accommodation to jump start their lives in Rwanda.”
Ms. Makole added that the agreement stipulates Rwanda’s “ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement.”
While the White House has not directly commented on the deal, it conveyed to the BBC that it maintains ongoing discussions with countries “willing to assist us in removing the illegal aliens that [ex-President] Joe Biden” had allowed to “infiltrate” the U.S.
Since returning to office in January, President Trump has prioritized a large-scale deportation initiative aimed at swiftly removing undocumented migrants from the U.S., fulfilling a key campaign promise.
Reports of a potential agreement between Rwanda and the U.S. surfaced in May, following statements from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington was “actively searching” for a country to accept “some of the most despicable human beings.”
The Trump administration has reportedly been engaging with several African nations to accept deported migrants whose countries of origin have refused their return. Eswatini and South Sudan have recently accepted such individuals, including some with criminal convictions.
Ms. Makolo told the BBC that Rwanda proceeded with the agreement due to the nation’s understanding of displacement, stating that “nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement.”
She further emphasized that Rwandan society is founded “on reintegration and rehabilitation.”
These remarks echo comments made in May, when Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister affirmed the country’s commitment to providing “another chance to migrants who have problems across the world,” guided by the “spirit” of recovery following the mid-1990s genocide.
Under a deal agreed six years ago with the UN refugee agency and African Union, nearly 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers stranded in Libya were evacuated to Rwanda between September 2019 and April 2025. The UN reports that many of these individuals have since been resettled elsewhere.
Rwanda previously had an agreement with the UK, established under the Conservative government in 2022, to accept asylum seekers.
However, the UK terminated the scheme, which faced substantial legal challenges, after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government assumed office in July of the previous year.
The UK had disbursed £240m ($310m) to Rwanda, including investments in housing facilities for asylum seekers. The current status of these facilities remains unclear.
Reuters reported that an anonymous Rwandan official indicated the U.S. would provide Kigali with an unspecified grant as part of the agreement, though this remains unconfirmed.
Ms. Makolo told the BBC that additional details would be provided upon finalization.
Human rights experts have voiced concerns that removals to a third country, not the migrant’s place of origin, could contravene international law.
Rwanda has faced prior criticism regarding its human rights record, including concerns that individuals sent to the nation could face further deportation to countries where they may encounter danger.
However, the Rwandan government maintains its capacity to offer a safe haven for migrants.
The country has also been criticized for allegedly supporting the M23 rebel group involved in the conflict in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo – an allegation it denies.
In June, Rwanda and the DR Congo signed a ceasefire agreement in Washington as part of an ongoing peace process aimed at resolving three decades of regional instability.
Additional reporting from the BBC’s Barbara Plett Usher in Nairobi and Bernd Debusmann Jr at the White House
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