Rwanda has confirmed it will accept up to 250 deportees from the United States as part of the Trump administration’s third-country deportation programme- a policy designed to remove migrants the U.S. claims it cannot return to their countries of origin.
The announcement came on Tuesday from Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, who told the Associated Press the agreement had been finalised. While she declined to provide a detailed timeline for transfers, she stressed that Rwanda retains the right to vet each individual and will ensure arrivals are provided with housing, training, healthcare, and support to settle.
A pattern of third-country agreements
The U.S. has already sent deportees to South Sudan and Eswatini under similar arrangements. In July, 13 migrants were relocated to the two African nations- described by U.S. officials as “dangerous criminals” convicted in the United States. These deportations followed earlier transfers of hundreds of Venezuelans and Central Americans to Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama.
This new deal with Rwanda represents Washington’s most significant African arrangement to date. While the Trump administration describes the policy as a way of removing “the worst of the worst”, human rights groups argue it risks turning African nations into dumping grounds for people the U.S. does not wish to process domestically.
Rwanda’s controversial migration record
Rwanda’s role as a destination for deportees is not new. In 2022, it signed a high-profile migration agreement with the United Kingdom to take in asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK illegally. Under that plan, claims would have been processed in Rwanda, with successful applicants resettled there.
The proposal faced immediate legal and political backlash, with Britain’s Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that the scheme was unlawful due to concerns over safety guarantees for migrants.
Rwanda has defended its participation in such agreements, pointing to its history of refugee resettlement and arguing it offers a stable environment for integration.
International criticism
Despite assurances from Kigali, organisations including Amnesty International and the UNHCR have warned that third-country deportation schemes raise serious ethical and legal issues. Concerns focus on due process, human rights protection, and whether deported individuals will have access to fair asylum proceedings or adequate support.
Rwanda’s own human rights record, while improved since the 1994 genocide, continues to face scrutiny from rights observers.
A deal under close watch
While Rwanda says the agreement with the U.S. will be implemented “gradually” and that it will “carefully consider” each case, critics warn that transparency will be key.
As the first group of Rwanda deportees prepares to be processed, the deal has become a flashpoint in broader debates over migration policy, international responsibility-sharing, and the ethics of outsourcing deportations to third countries.
For Rwanda, the agreement represents an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties with Washington and showcase its capacity as a partner in migration management. For the U.S., it is a test case for the expansion of Trump’s hardline immigration strategy into African partnerships.
How this arrangement plays out in practice will be closely monitored, not only by governments, but by human rights advocates around the world.
Also read: Cyprus begins deporting Syrians deemed security risk
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