The idea of hosting deported immigrants in Rwanda and the U.S. has emerged as a potential strategy for African countries looking to support anti-immigration policies of allied governments.
Still, prior attempts—like those by the UK, Israel, and Denmark—have stumbled due to various controversies.
Recently, Rwandan foreign minister Olivier Ndunglege confirmed initial discussions with Washington, stating on state television, “These reports are true. We are engaged in discussions with the United States government.”
According to a U.S.-based newsletter, it was reported last month that the U.S. and Rwanda are discussing plans to accept an individual who cannot return home due to fears of persecution.
While specifics about the arrangement remain limited, this isn’t Rwanda’s first venture into such resettlement agreements.
In 2022, Rwanda struck a deal with the previous British government to accept asylum seekers from the UK, where claims would be processed locally. Those granted asylum would reside in Rwanda, while unsuccessful applicants would have a choice between leaving or seeking residency.
The arrangement came with provisions for relocation and financial support for accommodation, but faced legal hurdles and backlash from politicians and human rights advocates. The government insisted it aimed to combat illegal migration and foster Rwanda’s development. Critics, however, voiced concerns over its legality and safety for refugees.
Ultimately, the UK’s substantial funding for the program fell apart when the new Labour government abandoned it last year.
During his address on Sunday, Ndunglege reflected on Rwanda’s prior experiences with similar immigration initiatives, suggesting that U.S. discussions were “not new to us.”
Previously, from 2014 to 2017, Rwanda participated in a program facilitating the relocation of asylum seekers from Israel, although this agreement was initially kept under wraps. Details emerged in 2018 amid legal challenges regarding a program offering cash incentives for African immigrants to leave or face indefinite detention.
In 2017, a UN refugee agency official noted that about 4,000 individuals from Eritrea and Sudan were resettled in Rwanda and Uganda under that program, which ultimately collapsed when the Israeli Supreme Court halted deportations in 2018.
Rwanda also looked into a similar arrangement with Denmark following a 2021 law aimed at processing asylum seekers outside Europe. Both nations considered establishing a program in Rwanda to handle Danish asylum claims.
Critics argued that such measures shifted Denmark’s responsibility for refugee protection. In 2023, Denmark paused its plans, seeking regional solutions with other EU nations instead.
Rwandan president Paul Kagame has previously defended immigration plans involving Rwanda, claiming in 2022 that the country was “not involved in buying and selling people” and asserting that these issues must be resolved, with Rwanda playing a supportive role.
The current negotiations with the U.S. present Rwanda with a chance to financially leverage the ongoing Western immigration crisis while expanding its geopolitical influence.
This discussion particularly pressurizes the U.S. to foster bilateral economic agreements between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), aimed at boosting Western investment in the region’s mining sector.
The proposed arrangement is part of a U.S. initiative to mitigate conflict in the resource-rich eastern DRC, where foreign support for rebel groups is a significant concern.
