Rwanda confirmed on Monday that discussions were "underway" with the United States regarding a potential agreement to host deported migrants. Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told state media that the talks were in the "early stage." When asked by the AP on Monday, he confirmed the talks. Nduhungirehe did not disclose the specifics of the potential deal for Rwanda, but previous local media reports suggest that the US would likely fund a program to have migrants integrated into the society through stipends and job assistance initiatives.
Rwanda has already accepted one person from the US, an Iraqi refugee with suspected terror links, the Washington Post reports. El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama have also agreed to receive US deportees. This wouldn't be Rwanda's first time hosting deported migrants. The East African nation previously had an agreement with the UK to host migrants. Plans for the initiative, including prepared accommodations, were in the final stages but the deal collapsed after the Labour Party took office in 2024, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying it was "dead and buried before it started."
Nduhungirehe said Sunday that the country wants to give "another chance to migrants who have problems across the world," the BBC reports. Rwanda has faced allegations of human rights abuses and is currently in the process of brokering a peace deal with the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have been behind attacks in the mineral-rich eastern Congo region. Nduhungirehe told state media on Sunday that Rwanda and Congo had already submitted their respective draft proposals, which will form the basis of a final peace agreement document expected to be signed in the US next month.
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