Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has confirmed that the East African nation is in the early stages of discussions with the Trump administration about accepting migrants deported from the United States.
The development comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed last month that Washington was “actively searching” for countries willing to receive individuals he described as “some of the most despicable human beings.”
Speaking on Rwandan television on Sunday, Nduhungirehe clarified that the negotiations were not unprecedented. “This is not new to us,” he said, referencing Rwanda’s previous agreement with the United Kingdom to accept deported migrants — a deal that was later scrapped following the Labour Party’s rise to power under Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July.
Nduhungirehe stressed that Rwanda remains committed to its humanitarian stance. “We are in the spirit of giving another chance to migrants who have problems across the world,” he said. However, he also noted that the ongoing discussions with the US are still in the early phase, and it’s too soon to predict their outcome.
Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a central focus of his administration. He has pledged “mass deportations” and accelerated the removal of undocumented migrants across the country.
Rwanda is not the only country engaging with the US on this matter. In February, El Salvador offered to accept deported criminals — even those holding US citizenship — in exchange for a fee. President Nayib Bukele said the deportees would be housed in the country’s mega-prison facility.