Rwanda Confirms Early Talks To Accept U.S. Deportees Amid Human Rights Concerns

 

Rwanda is in preliminary discussions to receive immigrants deported from the United States, according to Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Speaking in an interview with Rwanda TV on Sunday, Nduhungirehe confirmed that negotiations are underway but emphasized that the process is still in its early phases.

“We are in discussions with the United States,” Nduhungirehe said. “It has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing… still in the early stages.”

Rwanda has increasingly positioned itself as a destination for migrants removed by Western countries, a strategy that has attracted scrutiny from human rights organizations. Critics argue that Kigali does not provide adequate protections for asylum seekers and has a poor track record on fundamental human rights.

In 2022, Rwanda signed a controversial agreement with the United Kingdom to resettle thousands of asylum seekers. The deal was ultimately scrapped in 2024 by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly after taking office, citing legal and ethical concerns.

The talks with the U.S. come as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has aggressively pushed for deportations and sought to limit refugee admissions.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has raised concerns that migrants relocated to Rwanda might be at risk of forced return to countries they fled — a practice known as refoulement. Kigali has rejected these claims, accusing the UNHCR of spreading misinformation.

Last month, the U.S. deported to Rwanda an Iraqi refugee who had previously been resettled in America. The individual was reportedly wanted by the Iraqi government for alleged ties to the Islamic State, according to a U.S. official and internal communication.

In a separate case, the U.S. Supreme Court recently intervened to temporarily block the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliations. The administration had attempted to use a seldom-invoked wartime statute to justify the removals.

Rwanda’s growing role in international deportation agreements continues to draw attention, as questions linger over the safety and legality of relocating vulnerable migrants to a country with a contested human rights record.