Rwanda has confirmed it is in discussions with the United States regarding a potential agreement to host third-country deportees. This follows Rwanda’s previous controversial agreement with Britain to take in rejected asylum-seekers, a plan that ultimately collapsed last year. Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told the Associated Press that the talks with the U.S. are in the “early stage” and align with Rwanda’s commitment to finding migration solutions.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment directly on the potential deal but emphasized that engaging with foreign governments is crucial to its policy of deterring illegal migration. Reports in Rwandan media suggest that the U.S. would likely fund a program to integrate migrants through stipends and job assistance.
Rwanda has presented itself as a stable nation since the 1994 genocide. However, human rights groups have raised concerns about the suppression of dissent within the country. Rwanda argues that despite its high population density, it has the capacity to assist with the global issue of unwanted migration.
The previous UK-Rwanda deal, intended to send migrants arriving in the UK to Rwanda for asylum processing, faced legal challenges and strong criticism from human rights organizations. The plan was deemed unethical and a significant waste of taxpayer money by the current UK government, costing an estimated 700 million pounds ($904 million) without any flights taking place.
Human rights concerns surrounding Rwanda include allegations of deaths of government critics in custody and the killing of exiled individuals. Rwanda has also faced criticism for its military actions in the region, with UN experts documenting its support for rebels in eastern Congo. Despite past sanctions from the Trump administration over these regional actions, a deal to accept deportees could potentially improve Rwanda’s relationship with the U.S.