US, Rwanda in ‘early stages’ of talks about taking in deported illegal immigrants

Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed the development during an interview with Rwandan TV on Sunday, saying the conversations were “not new to us,” as Rwanda had previously made similar arrangements with the United Kingdom, reports the BBC. He added that the government was The US is

The talks come as President Donald Trump pushes forward with his campaign promise of “mass deportations” of undocumented illegal migrants. Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has sought agreements with third countries willing to receive deported individuals.

Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration was “actively searching” for governments willing to accept what he described as “some of the most despicable human beings.”

Rwanda is one of several nations that has signaled openness to such arrangements. In March, a Rwandan official told the Washington Post that the country had already accepted an Iraqi migrant expelled by the US and said that talks with the Trump administration began shortly after the January inauguration. The same official noted Rwanda was “open” to accepting more.

In February, El Salvador offered to house US-deported criminals—including American citizens—in its large prison complex, with President Nayib Bukele saying the deal would come “in exchange for a fee.” The US is paying $6 million per year for that service. Panama and Costa Rica have also received migrants removed by the United States.

The UK had previously negotiated a plan to send migrants to Rwanda, but that deal was scrapped when the Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer came to power in July and abandoned the scheme after legal setbacks.

Despite past criticism of Rwanda’s human rights record, including concerns that deported individuals might be removed again to unsafe countries, Rwandan officials maintain that the country remains a secure destination for refugees.

Nduhungirehe emphasized that discussions with the US were ongoing and that it was “too early to predict their outcome.”