Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has confirmed that the country is engaged in early-stage discussions with the United States to receive migrants currently residing in the U.S.
He made the statement on Sunday, May 4, during the RBA program ‘Inkuru mu Makuru’.
Minister Nduhungirehe stated that Rwanda had entered into discussions with the United States with the aim of continuing to provide opportunities that contribute to addressing the global migration crisis.
“The information is true — we are in talks with the United States. As you know, we were previously also in discussions with the United Kingdom. This is nothing new to us. Beyond the UK, you are well aware of the efforts we made in receiving migrants who had been stranded in Libya,” he said.
He emphasized that Rwanda’s approach is based on offering new opportunities to vulnerable migrants facing difficult circumstances worldwide.
“This is the context we are in — providing alternative opportunities to migrants facing global challenges. So, yes, we are currently in discussions with the United States. These talks are still in the early stages, so we cannot yet say exactly how things will unfold, but discussions are ongoing,” said Minister Nduhungirehe.
His confirmation follows reports in several Western media outlets suggesting that Rwanda may soon begin receiving migrants from the U.S., particularly in light of potential future policy changes.
If an agreement is signed, the U.S. would become the second country to formalize such an arrangement with Rwanda for the transfer of migrants.
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In 2022, Rwanda and the United Kingdom signed a migration treaty to facilitate the relocation of some migrants who had arrived in the UK via the English Channel. These individuals were to have their asylum claims processed in Rwanda.
However, when Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, he scrapped the deal to transfer asylum seekers.
Additionally, in 2019, the Government of Rwanda, in collaboration with the African Union, UNHCR, and other partners, launched the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) to support vulnerable refugees in Libya through temporary evacuation and comprehensive assistance in Rwanda.
Since then, two addendums have been made to the original tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The first, effective from October 2021 to December 2023, increased the center’s capacity to host 700 individuals at any given time. The second, signed in January 2024, extended the program until December 31, 2025.
According to UNHCR, between September 2019 and mid-December 2024, a total of 2,623 refugees and asylum seekers were evacuated from Libya to the ETM in Rwanda via 20 evacuation flights.
These individuals include nationals of Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, and Chad.
As of November 30, 2024, a total of 1,952 refugees have been resettled to third countries.