Rwanda has begun preliminary discussions to accept immigrants deported from the United States, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said during a televised interview.
In recent years, Rwanda has positioned itself as a willing host for migrants that Western countries aim to remove, Reuters reported.
This includes the UK's asylum deal signed in April 2022, which proposed relocating individuals who entered Britain illegally after January 1, 2022, to Rwanda, over 6,000 kilometres away.
The British government plan to pay asylum seekers up to £3,000 ($3,836) apiece to migrate to Rwanda. To be eligible, the asylum seekers must voluntarily opt for the option.
However, the whole immigration plan has faced a lot of opposition, especially from Conservatives, who contend that it would compromise judicial independence and put people at risk. In 2024, the agreement was scrapped by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Talks with the U.S. still at an early stage
"We are in discussions with the United States," Nduhungirehe said in an interview with the state broadcaster Rwanda TV.
"It has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing...still in the early stages."
Former President Donald Trump launched a broad crackdown on immigration at the start of his second term in January, including attempts to freeze the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
His administration has stepped up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants and other non-citizens. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has raised concerns that some migrants deported to Rwanda could be forcibly returned to the countries they fled, a violation of international law.
The Rwandan government has strongly denied the claims, accusing the UN agency of spreading falsehoods.
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