Rwanda Confirms Early-Stage Talks With U.S. to Host Deported Migrants.

By Caroline Ameh

Rwanda has confirmed that it is in preliminary discussions with the United States regarding a potential agreement to receive migrants deported from U.S. territory, echoing controversial migration strategies previously pursued by the United Kingdom and Australia.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told state media over the weekend that talks were “underway” but still at an early stage. Speaking to the Associated Press on Monday, Nduhungirehe confirmed the dialogue but declined to offer details about the potential agreement or its framework.

According to local media reports, any deal would likely involve U.S. financial backing for a program aimed at integrating deported migrants into Rwandan society, including monthly stipends and job assistance measures. While no official terms have been disclosed, such a model would mirror aspects of previous migration deals Rwanda has engaged in with Western countries.

“This would be in line with Rwanda’s longstanding commitment to humanitarian cooperation and sustainable migration solutions,” Nduhungirehe said, positioning the potential deal as part of Kigali’s broader efforts to participate in global migration management.

The U.S. State Department declined to comment specifically on talks with Rwanda but emphasized that working with foreign governments is a key pillar in efforts to curb unlawful migration.

If finalised, this would not be Rwanda’s first time entering into such an arrangement. A widely publicized deal with the United Kingdom to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda was scrapped in 2024 after the Labour Party won power and canceled the program, which had already cost British taxpayers an estimated £700 million, according to UK Home Affairs Committee Chair Yvette Cooper. A similar plan floated by Australia also failed to take off amid legal and political challenges.

The potential agreement comes at a sensitive time for Rwanda, which continues to face criticism over its human rights record and is involved in peace negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kigali has been accused of backing the M23 rebel group, which has launched repeated attacks in eastern Congo’s resource-rich provinces.

Speaking to state media, Nduhungirehe confirmed that both Rwanda and the DRC have submitted draft proposals for a peace deal, which is expected to be signed in the United States next month.

Analysts say the success or failure of a U.S.-Rwanda migrant agreement could shape the future of offshore asylum processing models — a controversial but increasingly common approach in Western migration policy.