Exclusive: Rwanda’s government says it has secured an agreement with the US to accept up to 250 migrants

The Rwandan government spokesperson and an official told Reuters that the United States and Rwanda have reached an agreement for the African nation to take in up to 250 migrants who have been deported from the United States. This comes as President Donald Trump’s administration adopts a strict stance on immigration.

According to the Rwandan source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Washington has already submitted an initial list of ten individuals to be vetted. The agreement was signed by U.S. and Rwandan officials in Kigali in June and was first reported by Reuters.

“Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants, in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,” revealed Yolande Makolo, the government spokesperson for Rwanda.

“Rwanda has the authority to accept each person’s resettlement request under the agreement. With the help of healthcare, housing assistance, and workforce training, those who are accepted will be able to start their lives in Rwanda and contribute to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies in the past ten years.”

There was no quick response from the State Department or the White House. Questions were referred to the State Department by the Department of Homeland Security.

Millions of illegal immigrants are to be deported from the United States by President Donald Trump, and his government has attempted to increase removals to third nations, including sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini, formerly Swaziland.

Notwithstanding rights organizations’ worries that Kigali violates fundamental human rights, Rwanda has recently positioned itself as a destination for migrants that Western nations would like to eliminate.

Rwanda was in the early stages of negotiations to accept deported U.S. immigrants, the foreign minister stated in May.

Some migrants, including those with criminal convictions, can be quickly removed through third-country deportations, according to the Trump administration. Hardline immigration advocates view third-country removals as a solution to criminals who are difficult to deport and may endanger the public.

Deportations have drawn criticism for being harsh and hazardous because they may send people to nations where they may experience violence, have no connections, and may not know the language.
RWANDA WILL GET A GRANT FROM US

The official stated that the grant letter was finalized in July and that the United States will pay Rwanda in the form of a grant. The official refused to disclose the grant’s amount.

According to the official, the U.S. and Rwanda could mutually agree to extend the arrangement beyond 250 individuals. Those who are deported to Rwanda are free to go at any time.

According to the official, there is no deal with Washington that would permit people to serve out their U.S. sentences in Rwanda, therefore Kigali will only accept those whose prison terms are complete or who have no criminal charges against them. There will be no tolerance for child sex offenders.

The Trump administration has pushed for the acceptance of migrants by foreign nations. More than 200 Venezuelans who were suspected of being gang members were deported to El Salvador in March and imprisoned there until being released in a prisoner swap last month.

In June, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration permission to send migrants to third nations without allowing them to prove they could be harmed. However, the removals’ constitutionality is being disputed in a federal lawsuit in Boston, which may eventually make its way back to the conservative high court.

President Paul Kagame has been hailed by Western and regional leaders for revitalizing Rwanda’s economy after it was devastated by the 1994 genocide that claimed over a million lives. He disputes claims made by rights organizations that he assisted rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a neighboring country, and committed abuses.

Rwanda has also participated in peace negotiations to end the conflict in eastern Congo, which are being spearheaded by the Trump administration. Hopes for an end to war that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year were raised in June when the two African countries signed a peace deal mediated by the United States in Washington.

This is not the first arrangement Rwanda has made to accommodate migrants deported from the United States. A 2022 agreement between Kigali and Britain to accept thousands of asylum migrants was canceled last year by Keir Starmer, the then-newly elected prime minister. Years of legal obstacles prevented anyone from being deployed to Rwanda under the proposal.