Rwanda has received a group of seven migrants deported from the United States under a new bilateral arrangement, the country’s presidency said on Thursday.
Presidential spokesperson Yolande Makolo confirmed the development in a statement, noting that the migrants arrived in mid-August following a July agreement that allows for the transfer of up to 250 people.
“The first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August,” Makolo said. “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 added that the deportees are currently receiving assistance from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Rwandan social services.
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Rwanda has, in recent years, positioned itself as a host country for migrants rejected by Western nations. Rights groups, however, have raised concerns about the East African nation’s human rights record.
Last year, Rwanda struck a controversial deal with the United Kingdom to receive asylum seekers, but the plan collapsed after Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped it on taking office. The UK had already paid Kigali £220 million under the agreement, but Rwanda insisted it had met its obligations and was not obliged to return the funds.
Makolo stressed that all migrants transferred under the new U.S. deal would be provided with “appropriate support and protection” regardless of whether they chose to stay in Rwanda or return home.
