Rwanda is prepared to take in additional migrants expelled from the United States. This decision is a huge step forward in their year long interactions with US officials. These negotiations began almost immediately after former President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Their goal is to help them understand Rwanda and its suitability for people the US might want to deport.
In March, Rwanda welcomed an Iraqi migrant, demonstrating its commitment to providing refuge. The Rwandan government likes to portray itself as a safe haven for refugees. It claims that it is offering a safe haven for people fleeing difficult circumstances.
Rwanda’s role in international migrant resettlement is not confined to the United States. The country recently made a deal to host migrants that are deported from the United Kingdom. When Sir Keir Starmer’s centrally directed Labour government won power last July, they scrapped that program. That shift in the status quo led to a broader reflection on the appropriate UK response to migration.
And though Rwanda may have lofty ambitions to help migrants thrive, the country has come under fire for its poor human rights record. The threat of sending deportees to countries where they would be in jeopardy continues to be a source of alarm. Rwandan official Nduhungirehe came clean about the country’s policies on social media. He underscored a deep commitment to providing “a second opportunity to migrants who face adversity around the globe.”
Nduhungirehe indicated that key negotiations continue with US officials. He particularly stressed that it is too soon to tell what these negotiations will yield. He noted that Rwanda has a track record going back years of duping the US through negotiations. This points to a history of interest to work together on migration-related issues.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that Washington is “trawling” the globe for other countries willing to take deported people. He called many of those he was deporting “some of the most despicable human beings.” This statement highlights the fraught politics at play in international conversations around migrant resettlement.
As Rwanda implements and refines its model, and indeed, as it seeks to exert its influence on the future of global migration policy, the world will be watching. These negotiations with the US and UK could greatly influence the extent to which Rwanda becomes a destination for accepted asylum seekers. They will further shape global migration dynamics for years to come.
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