Seven people have been flown to Rwanda under a new agreement with the United States to take in deportees, the Rwandan government has said, in a move that has reignited debate over the ethics of third-country resettlement schemes.
Yolande Makolo, a government spokesperson, confirmed on Thursday that the first group arrived in mid-August. “Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” she said.
The authorities did not disclose the nationalities of those deported. Under the deal, announced on 5 August, Rwanda has agreed to receive up to 250 people from the US, though it retains the right to assess each case individually before granting approval.
Makolo said the arrivals were being hosted by an international organisation, with support from the International Organisation for Migration and Rwanda’s social services. The government has promised to provide housing, training and healthcare for those who choose to remain in the country.
The deal is part of a wider deportation push by the Trump administration, which has sought agreements with third countries such as South Sudan and Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, to take individuals whose home governments have refused to accept them back. US officials argue the practice is necessary to overcome diplomatic and legal barriers that complicate deportations.
Rights groups, however, have criticised such schemes as unlawful and inhumane, warning they may breach international law by exposing deportees to serious risks, including torture, abduction or other abuses. The UN’s refugee agency has previously raised concerns about the use of third-country arrangements, saying they undermine global refugee protections.
This is not Rwanda’s first involvement in such controversial policies. In 2022, Kigali signed a deal with Britain to accept asylum seekers who had arrived on UK soil. That arrangement, which was championed by the then Conservative government, became a lightning rod for criticism from human rights groups and faced protracted legal challenges. It was ultimately abandoned last year after Labour’s election victory.
The government in Kigali has defended its new agreement with Washington by pointing to Rwanda’s own history of displacement. “Nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement,” Makolo said earlier this month, adding that the country was committed to offering opportunities to those who had been forced from their homes.
Rwanda, a country of 14 million, is often held up as one of Africa’s most stable states, praised for its economic growth and modern infrastructure. But President Paul Kagame’s government has also faced sustained criticism for its human rights record, with opponents accusing it of suppressing dissent, jailing critics and curbing press freedoms.
The arrival of the first deportees highlights the delicate balance Kigali is seeking to strike between presenting itself as a reliable international partner and addressing domestic and international criticism of its governance. For Washington, the agreement offers a path forward in its hardline immigration agenda, but one that is certain to remain the focus of legal and political battles in the months ahead.
