Rwanda Receives First Migrants Deported From US Under Trump Deal

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:21 PM UTC

TLDR

Rwanda has taken in the first group of migrants deported from the United States under a new agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration
Seven people arrived in Kigali in mid-August, according to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo
Four will remain in Rwanda, while three have chosen to return to their home countries

Rwanda has taken in the first group of migrants deported from the United States under a new agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration.

Seven people arrived in Kigali in mid-August, according to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo. Four will remain in Rwanda, while three have chosen to return to their home countries. Authorities did not disclose their nationalities.

The agreement is part of Trump’s expanded mass deportation plan launched in January during his second term. At least a dozen nations have agreed to accept deported migrants. Rwanda has previously hosted evacuees from Libya under a 2019 arrangement with the UN and African Union that resettled nearly 3,000 people.

Makolo said the deportees will be supported by the government, international organizations, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Rights groups have raised concerns over potential breaches of international law if deportees are returned to unsafe countries.

It remains unclear whether financial terms are attached to the US-Rwanda deal.

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Key Takeaways

Rwanda’s willingness to host US-deported migrants highlights its role as a partner in international migration management, despite criticism of its human rights record. The move echoes earlier agreements with the UN, AU, and the UK, though the latter collapsed last year after a change of government in London. For the US, Rwanda provides a willing partner at a time when Trump has escalated deportations as part of his immigration agenda. For Rwanda, the arrangement strengthens ties with Washington, which recently brokered a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The policy raises legal and ethical questions. International law prohibits refoulement—sending migrants to places where they face persecution—yet critics fear deportees may be exposed to such risks. Rwanda argues its own history of displacement positions it to offer protection, but transparency around the scale, funding, and oversight of the deal will determine whether it can withstand scrutiny.

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