Rwanda has agreed to accept up to 250 illegal immigrants deported from the United States, a spokesperson for the country confirmed.
“Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants, in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Reuters. “Under the agreement, Rwanda has the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement. “Those approved will be provided with workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation support to jumpstart their lives in Rwanda, giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the last decade.”
The move is reportedly intended to strengthen Rwanda’s ties with the Trump administration, an anonymous official shared with Politico.
“When you’re a small country, any time you can find a way consistent with your own policies and values, to be able to talk to a major country about something that it is interested in and not just asking them to take an interest in your issues, it just creates a more productive, obviously not equal, but a more balanced relationship and that’s good for both sides,” the official told the outlet.
In May, Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told Reuters that discussions with the United States were underway.
He further explained to Rwanda TV that the country “has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing,” noting that they are “still in the early stages.”
