A Rwandan official has said approved deportees will receive support to rebuild their lives and contribute to the country’s economy
Rwanda has agreed to receive migrants deported from the US, Reuters reported on Monday, citing a government spokesperson. Kigali will receive a grant from Washington in return, an anonymous official from the African nation was quoted as saying, although the amount was not disclosed.
Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to carry out mass deportations, expand detention capacity, and secure third-country resettlement deals to offload asylum seekers, despite criticism and protests across the country.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Reuters that the country’s decision to accept deportees reflects its past experience with the “hardship of displacement” and “societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation.” Rwanda is recovering from the 1994 genocide, during which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed and over 2 million others displaced, according to UN figures.
“Under the agreement, Rwanda has the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement,” Makolo stated.
“Those approved will be provided with workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation support to jumpstart their lives in Rwanda, giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the last decade,” she added.
The latest arrangement with Washington, reportedly signed in June, follows a controversial deal Kigali reached with Britain in 2022 to receive thousands of undocumented migrants from the UK – a scheme that was scrapped last year by the new British government. In March, Reuters reported that Rwanda had requested £50 million ($63.5 million) in compensation from the UK, although no deportation flights had taken place.
Last month, the Trump administration deported five “barbaric criminals” to Eswatini, whom the Department of Homeland Security said their home countries had refused to take back. Earlier, it removed eight people to war-torn South Sudan after threatening visa sanctions over the country’s alleged refusal to accept deportees.
According to Reuters, a Rwandan official said Washington has sent an initial list of ten people for vetting, adding that only those who have completed prison terms or face no charges will be accepted.
