The United States and Rwanda have reached a deal allowing up to 250 migrants deported from the U.S. to be resettled in the East African nation, officials confirmed, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to remove migrants to third countries.
The agreement, signed in Kigali in June, was confirmed by Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, who emphasized Rwanda’s readiness to support resettled individuals through job training, healthcare, and housing assistance. “Our values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,” she said, citing Rwanda’s own history of displacement.
Under the deal, Rwanda retains the right to vet and approve each individual. An initial list of 10 names has already been submitted by U.S. authorities. Those accepted must have no ongoing criminal cases, and convicted child sex offenders will not be considered. Rwanda is not obligated to house deportees permanently, and those resettled may leave the country freely.
While the U.S. State Department has not officially commented, the Department of Homeland Security referred inquiries to State. A Rwandan official added that Kigali will receive a U.S. grant for taking in the migrants, though the amount remains undisclosed. The agreement could be extended beyond the initial 250 by mutual consent.
The deal is part of President Trump’s broader strategy to deport immigrants—including those with criminal convictions—to alternative destinations when repatriation to their home countries is not feasible. Similar efforts have included sending Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador and negotiating removals to South Sudan and Eswatini.
Critics, including human rights groups, argue such deportations are dangerous, particularly when individuals are sent to countries where they have no ties, face language barriers, or potential harm. Legal challenges to the policy are ongoing, with a key case currently under review in a Boston federal court.
Rwanda has become a willing partner in Western deportation schemes, despite international scrutiny of its human rights record. The country previously signed a controversial 2022 deal with the UK to accept asylum seekers—though no transfers occurred and the agreement was eventually scrapped by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2024.
The new U.S.-Rwanda agreement comes as both nations also expand cooperation on regional diplomacy. In June, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington, aimed at ending violence in eastern Congo that has displaced hundreds of thousands this year.