Rwandan authorities say they have reached an agreement with the United States to take in up to 250 migrants, as part of a new deal that includes a cash grant. The move is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to remove migrants to third countries, and has raised fresh concerns over human rights, legality and the growing trend of wealthier nations paying others to take in deportees.
“Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants,” said government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said on Tuesday. “In part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation.”
The agreement was signed by US and Rwandan officials in Kigali in June, according to another Rwandan official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that Washington had already sent an initial list of 10 people to be vetted.
The White House, Department of Homeland Security and State Department had no immediate comment.
The deal comes as former US president Donald Trump pushes to deport millions of people living in the country illegally. His administration has sought to remove migrants to third countries, including deporting convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.
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Cash for refugees
Under the agreement, Rwanda will receive funding from the US in the form of a grant. The Rwandan official said the grant letter was signed in July but declined to say how much money was involved.
“This is the real surprise in this deal,” said Phil Clark, a professor at SOAS University in the UK who studies Rwanda and the Great Lakes region.
“The previous announcement about this migrant deal showed that the US was trading this policy against a peace deal with the DRC,” Clark told RFI. “Now it shows that Rwanda will also profit financially from this scheme.”
The official said the two countries could agree to expand the scheme beyond the initial 250 people. Migrants sent to Rwanda would be free to leave the country if they chose to.
“Rwanda has already gained hundreds of thousands of British pounds from the failed deal with the UK and now seems to be able to profit from hosting refugees and migrants for years to come,” Clark said.
Rwandan authorities will have the final say on who can be resettled. Kigali has made clear it will not accept anyone who has served part of a prison sentence or who faces criminal charges.
The official said there is no plan to let deportees complete US prison terms in Rwanda, and that child sex offenders would not be accepted.
Makolo said approved migrants would receive job training, healthcare and housing support. “Giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the last decade,” she said.
The US Supreme Court ruled in June that the Trump administration could deport migrants to third countries. But the legal battle is ongoing. A federal lawsuit challenging the policy is underway in Boston and could reach the Supreme Court again.
The US has also pressed other countries to accept deportees. In March, more than 200 Venezuelans accused of being gang members were sent to El Salvador, where they were held until they were later exchanged in a prisoner swap.
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Human rights worries
Talks between the US and Rwanda began earlier this year, according to Rwanda’s foreign minister.
While Western leaders often praise Rwandan President Paul Kagame for rebuilding the country after the 1994 genocide, rights groups accuse his government of abuses and of backing rebel groups in eastern DRC. Kagame denies the allegations.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned that some migrants deported to Rwanda could face forced return to countries they fled.
Rwanda, home to around 13 million people, has been criticised by international watchdogs for its limits on free speech and political opposition. Still, the government has promoted the country as a willing partner for Western countries seeking to offload asylum seekers and migrants.
It previously signed a deal with the UK under then-prime minister Rishi Sunak. But no one was deported under the plan due to years of legal challenges. It was officially dropped in July 2024 by the incoming Labour government.
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Clark said the issue is not limited to Rwanda but reflects a wider shift in policy across the West.
“These countries have now decided that it is acceptable to spend more money sending migrants away than they used to spend in hosting them, which used to be seen as an immoral way to deal with refugees and economic migrants,” he said.
The Trump administration has defended third-country deportations as a way to remove people quickly, especially those with criminal records.
Supporters say it helps prevent threats to public safety. Critics say the policy is dangerous and inhumane, sending people to unfamiliar countries where they may face harm or have no connections.
