Daijiworld Media Network - Kigali

Kigali, May 5: Rwanda has confirmed that it is in early discussions with former US President Donald Trump’s administration regarding a potential agreement to accept deported migrants from the United States. The country’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, revealed the development during an interview with state broadcaster Rwanda TV, as reported by Reuters.

“We are in discussions with the United States,” Nduhungirehe said. “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.”

The development follows multiple reports of the Trump campaign planning the largest deportation operation in US history, targeting visa holders, student activists, and suspected gang members. Trump recently stirred controversy in a televised interview, suggesting he might not need to uphold the US Constitution while pursuing these deportations.

Despite the tough rhetoric, statistics show that deportations under Trump in February were lower than during President Biden's term the previous year. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that immigrants must be afforded basic due process, including the right to appear before an immigration judge.

Rwanda has a history of entering agreements with Western nations to accept deported individuals. In 2022, it signed a deal with then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take in failed asylum seekers. However, legal challenges and political changes in the UK led to the scrapping of the scheme, which cost the British government around £700 million and resulted in just four deportations.

Rwanda’s involvement in such deals has drawn criticism from human rights groups, citing President Paul Kagame’s long-standing rule and the government’s alleged support for rebel movements in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Still, the country continues to position itself as a willing partner for controversial migrant relocation programmes.