Rwanda Confirms Talks with US Over Accepting Deported Migrants
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Kigali, Rwanda – May 2025
Rwanda has confirmed that it is in early discussions with the Trump administration in the United States to receive migrants deported from American soil.
Speaking during a televised interview on Sunday, Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said the conversations are “not new” to the Rwandan government, referencing similar agreements in the past, including one with the UK.
“We are in the early stages of talks. Rwanda has always been open to giving people a second chance – especially migrants facing difficulties across the world,” Nduhungirehe told local media.
The comments follow a statement last month from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington was actively searching for partner nations to take in what he described as “some of the most despicable human beings” targeted for deportation.
While details of the potential deal with the US remain unclear, Nduhungirehe indicated that discussions were ongoing and that it was too early to predict their outcome.
Rwanda previously entered into a controversial migrant relocation deal with the United Kingdom, but that agreement was dropped last July after Keir Starmer’s Labour Party came into power and abandoned the plan following legal and political challenges.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has promised a clampdown on undocumented immigration, including a strategy of mass deportations. The administration has been seeking international partners to host individuals removed from the US under tightened immigration rules.
In a similar development earlier this year, El Salvador offered to take in deported criminals from the US, including some holding American citizenship, in exchange for financial compensation. President Nayib Bukele said they would be housed in the country’s high-security mega-prison.
If the Rwanda-US deal moves forward, it could place the East African nation at the center of global debates around immigration policy and human rights once again.
Stay tuned to Omega TV UK for ongoing coverage of this developing story.
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