Rwanda Confirms Early Talks to Receive Migrants Deported from US

Rwanda has confirmed it is in the early stages of discussions with the United States to receive migrants deported from the United States, marking a potential new chapter in Kigali’s controversial role as a relocation partner for Western countries.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe revealed the talks during a Sunday night interview with state broadcaster Rwanda TV. “We are in discussions with the United States,” he said. “It has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing.”

While no details have been finalized, the move follows a pattern: Rwanda had previously signed a deal with the United Kingdom in 2022 to take in asylum seekers arriving illegally. That agreement, which drew international criticism, was scrapped in 2024 by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The U.S. has recently stepped up deportations of undocumented migrants. In one notable case last month, it deported a resettled Iraqi refugee to Rwanda—an unusual decision linked to legal barriers that prevented his return to Iraq. The individual had faced accusations of Islamic State ties, which he denied.

Human rights organizations and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) have raised serious concerns about Rwanda’s suitability as a relocation destination. UNHCR warned of the risk that migrants sent there could be forced back to dangerous countries, violating international refugee protections. Kigali has rejected such claims, accusing the UN of misrepresenting its record.

Rwanda, under President Paul Kagame, has positioned itself as a stable partner for managing migrant inflows in exchange for economic and diplomatic benefits. Critics argue that the country’s poor human rights record—including crackdowns on dissent and press freedoms—makes it unsuitable for hosting vulnerable asylum seekers.

Analysts see the Rwanda-U.S. talks as part of a broader strategy by wealthy nations to externalize migration enforcement—shifting responsibility to third countries in exchange for financial compensation or political goodwill.

Neither the U.S. Department of Homeland Security nor the State Department has issued a formal statement on the negotiations.

If approved, the deal could have wide-reaching implications for how governments manage asylum claims and international migration amid rising political pressure at home.