Rwanda has agreed to take in up to 250 migrants expelled from the United States under a new resettlement deal, officials said on Friday.
The agreement makes Rwanda the third African country to accept U.S. deportees. Rights groups say African governments face heavy pressure from Washington to sign such deals.
Rwanda will review each case individually and has the right to decline any migrant proposed for resettlement. Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said the decision was rooted in Rwanda’s own history of displacement. “Almost every Rwandan household has been affected,” she said, adding that reintegration was part of national values.
Approved migrants will receive housing, healthcare and job training, officials said. The program is billed as a way to help newcomers integrate into Rwanda’s economy, which the government describes as one of the fastest growing in Africa.
One group of seven migrants has already arrived. They were received with support from the International Organization for Migration, which is providing accommodation and monitoring their situation.
Authorities said new arrivals will have three months to complete paperwork. Migrants can either remain in Rwanda or seek help to return to their home countries. Rwanda pledged financial support for up to five years.
The U.S. agreement follows Rwanda’s failed migration pact with Britain. That program was scrapped by the new UK government after spending more than $1 billion without relocating any asylum seekers.
