Rwanda Receives First Group of US-Deported Migrants

Rwanda has confirmed the arrival of the first set of migrants sent from the United States under a new deportation arrangement between the two governments.

“The first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August… Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told AFP.

Officials have not disclosed the nationalities of those involved. The Rwandan government had earlier announced, on August 5, that it would be prepared to take in up to 250 migrants from the US, with the condition that it retained “the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement.”

Makolo explained that the new arrivals are being “accommodated by an international organisation with visits by the International Organisation on Migration and Rwandan social services.” She further stated that those who choose to remain will be given access to housing, medical care and vocational training.

Washington has been pressing ahead with controversial deportation policies, with President Donald Trump’s administration pushing for agreements with third countries such as South Sudan and Eswatini. Rwanda had also signed a separate arrangement with Britain to take in asylum seekers, but that deal collapsed following a change of government in London last year.

According to Makolo, Rwanda’s willingness to participate in such programmes stems from its own history. “Nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement,” she said earlier this month.

The Trump administration insists that relocating deportees to third countries is necessary because some governments refuse to accept their nationals. But human rights groups and legal experts warn such transfers could breach international law if people are sent to places where they risk abduction, torture, or abuse.

Rwanda, with a population of about 13 million, has often been praised for its relative stability and modern infrastructure in Africa’s Great Lakes region. Yet, the British migrant deal had drawn heavy criticism from rights advocates and was tied up in legal disputes for months.

Meanwhile, President Paul Kagame’s government continues to face accusations of suppressing dissent, silencing opposition voices and curbing press freedoms, even as it welcomes the first wave of deportees from Washington.