The Trump administration is reportedly in advanced discussions with Rwanda to establish a controversial migration transfer agreement.
According to Bloomberg, the U.S. is seeking to strike deals with partner nations to receive deported migrants, citing mounting pressure on domestic detention centers and ballooning costs.
Rwanda now joins a growing list of possible partners that includes El Salvador, Mexico, and South Sudan.
The plan closely resembles the UK’s failed Rwanda asylum scheme, which was abandoned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly after taking office in 2024.
Despite a staggering £715 million expenditure, including £290 million paid directly to Kigali, the British scheme yielded only a few voluntary removals and triggered widespread criticism.
Trump-era allies argue the U.S. strategy is necessary. Immigration attorney Jacob Sapochnick told Bloomberg that overcrowded detention centers and escalating costs have forced the government to explore offshore solutions.
A key precedent may already exist. Earlier this year, the U.S. deported Iraqi national Omar Abdulsattar Ameen to Rwanda, reportedly spending $100,000 on the transfer. Ameen’s removal was viewed by some as a quiet test case for future deportations.
While Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed talks with Washington, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) says it has yet to be formally consulted.
“Any transfer arrangement should ensure access to asylum and due process,” emphasized UNHCR spokeswoman Kathryn Mahoney.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not denied the potential deal, stating the administration is “actively searching for other countries to take people… the further away from America, the better.”
