Rwanda has officially agreed to receive up to 250 migrants deported from the United States, following a bilateral agreement signed in June 2025.
According to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, the initiative is consistent with Rwanda’s national ethos. “This arrangement reflects the nation’s values built on reintegration and rehabilitation,” she said, referencing the country’s own experience with displacement. Under the agreement, each migrant will undergo a vetting process prior to arrival and will be supported with job training, healthcare, and housing to aid their transition into Rwandan society.
The United States has already submitted an initial list of 10 individuals for consideration. Only those who have completed any custodial sentences and have no outstanding criminal cases will be eligible for relocation. Individuals with child sex offences are explicitly excluded. While the migrants are not required to remain in Rwanda permanently, the U.S. is providing Kigali with unspecified financial assistance through a grant tailored to support integration efforts.
This arrangement is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy of transferring migrants to third countries. However, the policy has drawn criticism from human rights organisations, who caution that such moves could leave migrants stranded in unfamiliar environments without community ties or legal safeguards. Rwanda, for its part, insists it is equipped to manage the process responsibly.
Kigali has previously negotiated similar resettlement agreements—such as those with the United Kingdom in 2022 and with the United Nations in Libya in 2019—but those deals were never put into effect.