(MENAFN) Rwanda has agreed to receive migrants deported from the United States, Reuters reported Monday, citing a government spokesperson. In exchange, Kigali will receive financial support from Washington, though the amount has not been disclosed.

Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has instructed federal agencies to ramp up mass deportations, expand detention facilities, and negotiate third-country resettlement agreements to relocate asylum seekers, despite facing domestic criticism and protests.

Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo explained that Rwanda’s acceptance of deportees is rooted in its own history of displacement and a national commitment to reintegration and rehabilitation. The country is still recovering from the 1994 genocide, which saw over 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed, and millions displaced, according to UN data.

Makolo added that Rwanda will screen each individual before approval and provide those accepted with workforce training, healthcare, and housing support, helping them integrate into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies over the past decade.

This new agreement, reportedly signed in June, follows a similar but canceled deal between Rwanda and the UK in 2022 to accept undocumented migrants. Rwanda later sought compensation from Britain for the aborted arrangement.

Recently, the Trump administration deported several individuals deemed "barbaric criminals" to Eswatini and relocated others to South Sudan after threatening sanctions over their refusal to accept deportees.

A Rwandan official stated that Washington has already sent a preliminary list of ten migrants for vetting, with only those who have completed prison sentences or face no charges being eligible for resettlement.

MENAFN06082025000045015687ID1109891290