Seven migrants expelled by the United States arrived in Rwanda in mid-August, marking the first group sent under a new agreement between Washington and Kigali, the Rwandan government announced on Thursday.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, his administration has forged several controversial migration deals. These agreements have seen migrants sent to countries such as South Sudan, Eswatini, and El Salvador, often nations they have no ties to.
Earlier this month, Rwanda pledged to receive up to 250 migrants expelled from the US. An initial group of seven has now arrived and, according to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, they have been provided with “appropriate support and protection.”
Makolo noted that three of the migrants have expressed a desire to return to their countries of origin, while four have chosen to remain in Rwanda to start new lives. She did not disclose their nationalities.
Rwanda, a nation of approximately 13 million people, has faced international criticism over its human rights record. However, since the devastating 1994 genocide—in which at least 800,000 lives were lost, primarily members of the minority Tutsi community and moderate Hutus—the country has experienced substantial economic growth.
This is not the first controversial migration deal involving Rwanda. Kigali previously struck a lucrative agreement with the UK to process migrants, a plan the current British government scrapped in 2024 following fierce opposition.
