By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Rwanda has received at least seven group of migrants in implementation of its migrants transfer deal with the United States, Kigali said in a statement on Thursday.
“The first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August… Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo stated.
No details were disclosed on the nationality of the seven migrants or their gender.
Earlier this month, Rwanda agreed that it would accept up to 250 migrants from the US, stating that it would have “the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement”.
The first arrivals are “accommodated by an international organisation with visits by the International Organisation on Migration and Rwandan social services,” Makolo said.
US President Donald Trump has been pushing a controversial agreement to transfer migrants to nations across the world, in fulfillment of his campaign promise of launching a clampdown on illegal migration.
Washington is considering transferring migrants to some African countries, including Uganda, South Sudan and Eswatini.
Under former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, UK signed a deal to transfer unwanted migrants to Rwanda but the agreement was scrapped when Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer took over government last year.
Kigali had agreed to the new scheme with Washington because “nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement”, Makolo said earlier this month.
Those who arrive in Rwanda will be provided with training, healthcare and accommodation, she added.
The Trump administration has defended third-country deportations as necessary, since the home nations sometimes refuse to accept them.
Rights experts have warned they risk breaking international law by sending people to nations where they face the risk of torture, abduction and other abuses.
Rwanda, home to 13 million people in Africa’s Great Lakes region, claims to be one of the most stable countries on the continent and has drawn praise for its modern infrastructure.
President Paul Kagame’s government has however come under criticism over rampant human rights violations, clampdown on opposition figures and consistent attacks on free press
