Rwanda has received its first group of migrants deported from the United States under a new resettlement agreement between Kigali and Washington, the government confirmed on Thursday.
Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August. Of the group, three have already expressed interest in returning to their home countries, while four indicated their willingness to settle and build new lives in Rwanda.
The authorities did not disclose the nationalities of the deportees.
Earlier this month, Rwanda announced it would take in up to 250 migrants from the U.S., stressing that it retained the discretion to approve each case individually.
According to Makolo, the first arrivals are currently being housed under the care of an international organization, with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Rwandan social services.
The agreement comes as Washington intensifies its deportation policy under President Donald Trump, who has sought deals with third countries—including South Sudan and Eswatini—to resettle people whose home nations refuse to accept them.
Rwanda is no stranger to such arrangements. In 2022, it signed a high-profile deal with the United Kingdom to host deported migrants, though that plan was abandoned following a change of government in London.
Kigali defended its partnership with the U.S., noting that the country’s own history of displacement gave it empathy for migrants.
“Nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement,” Makolo said earlier this month.
Under the deal, deportees who remain in Rwanda will be offered accommodation, healthcare, and vocational training.
The Trump administration has defended third-country deportations as necessary for managing migration flows, but rights groups warn that such policies could breach international law, particularly if deportees face risks of abuse, persecution, or torture in their new destinations.
Home to around 13 million people, Rwanda has won praise for its stability and modern infrastructure in Africa’s Great Lakes region.
However, President Paul Kagame’s government remains under heavy criticism from international rights watchdogs, who accuse it of suppressing dissent, silencing opposition voices, and restricting press freedoms.
