Rwanda has confirmed it is engaged in preliminary discussions with the United States to accept migrants deported from American soil, according to the country’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe.
In a televised interview aired Sunday on Rwanda TV, Nduhungirehe acknowledged the ongoing dialogue but emphasized that the talks remain at an early stage. “We are currently in discussions with the United States. However, it is too early to provide specific details on how the process will unfold,” he said.
Rwanda has built a reputation in recent years as a destination for migrants whom Western nations aim to remove, despite criticism from human rights organizations about the country’s human rights track record.
Back in 2022, Rwanda struck a deal with the United Kingdom to accept thousands of asylum seekers. However, the agreement was later abandoned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer following his election.
Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to deport undocumented immigrants and other non-citizens, following a clampdown on immigration policies since the beginning of his second term in January. Trump’s government also moved to limit the refugee resettlement program.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern that migrants sent to Rwanda might face the risk of being repatriated to countries they fled due to persecution or violence. Rwandan authorities have firmly rejected these allegations, accusing UNHCR of spreading misinformation.
In a related development last month, the U.S. deported an Iraqi refugee to Rwanda. The individual, who had been resettled in the U.S., was the subject of extradition requests from Iraq over alleged links to the Islamic State, according to an internal U.S. government communication and a U.S. official.
In another immigration-related legal development, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Trump administration in April from deporting a group of Venezuelan nationals. The group had been accused of gang involvement, and the administration had invoked a seldom-used wartime statute to justify the removals.
Source: CNN
Rwanda Accept Migrants Deportation
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