The United States and Rwanda have agreed for the African country to accept up to 250 migrants deported from the US, the spokesperson for the Rwandan government and an official said.
"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," said the spokesperson for the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo.
"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 agreement was signed by US and Rwandan officials in Kigali in June and Washington had already sent an initial list of 10 people to be vetted, Reuters news agency reports.
Third-country deportations
President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants in the US illegally and his administration has sought to ramp up removals to third countries, including sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland.
Rwanda has in recent years positioned itself as a destination country for migrants that Western countries would like to remove.
In May, the foreign minister said Rwanda was in the early stages of talks to receive immigrants deported from the United States.
The Trump administration argues that third-country deportations help swiftly remove some migrants. Opponents have criticized the deportations as dangerous and cruel, since people could be sent to countries where they have no ties and do not speak the language.
The Supreme Court in June allowed the Trump administration to deport migrants to third countries without giving them a chance to show they could be harmed.
Thriving economy
Western and regional leaders have praised President Paul Kagame for transforming Rwanda from the ruins of the 1994 genocide that killed more than one million people into a thriving economy.
Rwanda has also engaged in peace talks led by the Trump administration to bring an end to fighting in eastern Congo. The two African nations signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington in June, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year.
