The United States has quietly signed a new agreement with Rwanda to resettle up to 250 migrants deported from American soil, signaling a new phase in President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown. The deal was reportedly finalized in Kigali in June, according to a senior Rwandan official cited by Reuters, with Washington already submitting a preliminary list of ten names for review.
While the White House and the State Department have yet to comment, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo confirmed the agreement and emphasized that it aligns with Rwanda’s core values. “Nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the trauma of displacement,” she said, highlighting Rwanda’s commitment to reintegration and rehabilitation.
Under the terms of the deal, approved individuals will receive housing, vocational training, and healthcare support to help them start new lives and contribute to Rwanda’s fast-growing economy. The United States will provide financial support through an undisclosed grant, with the potential for expansion beyond the initial 250 individuals.
Importantly, Rwanda will only accept deportees who have completed prison sentences or face no active criminal charges—excluding those convicted of sexual crimes against children. The agreement does not allow for the enforcement of U.S. criminal penalties in Rwanda, and deportees will not be required to remain in the country permanently.
The move is part of a broader U.S. policy shift under Trump, who has resumed controversial third-country resettlement agreements. In March, more than 200 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador under similar terms. Meanwhile, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling has enabled deportations to third countries without guaranteeing the right to claim danger or persecution, a decision currently under legal challenge in federal court.
Rwanda previously signed a comparable migration deal with the UK in 2022, but the plan was never implemented due to legal challenges and was officially scrapped by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government in 2024.
This new agreement could reignite global debate over ethical migration practices and the growing use of African nations as resettlement destinations for Western deportations.
