Seven individuals were reportedly transferred from the United States to Rwanda in August, under the terms of a mutual agreement with Washington.
In a recent development, seven migrants were transferred from the United States to Rwanda in August, marking the beginning of a deportation agreement between the two countries. This move is part of a broader strategy by the U.S. to manage immigration and deportations.
Rwanda is one of four African countries that have reached such agreements with Washington. Uganda has also agreed to take deported migrants, provided they do not have criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors.
The identities of the deportees sent to Rwanda this month remain undisclosed, but they have been accommodated by an international organization. The first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August.
Upon arrival, the migrants were visited by representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Rwandan social services. Four of the individuals approved for settlement in Rwanda have expressed a desire to stay and build lives in Rwanda. However, three of them have expressed a desire to return to their home countries.
Those approved for settlement in Rwanda will receive workforce training and health care. The U.S. government has not provided details about the specific nationalities of the deportees, but they were persons residing in the U.S.
The other countries that have reached deportation agreements with Washington are Uganda, Eswatini, and South Sudan. In early July, the U.S. deported five men to Eswatini, where they will be held in solitary confinement in prison for an undetermined period of time. The men are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos.
In a separate incident, the Trump administration sent eight men from South Sudan, Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, and Vietnam to South Sudan in early July. No further details about these deportations have been made public.
As the U.S. continues to implement its deportation strategy, the impact on the lives of those affected and the relationships between the involved countries remain to be seen.
