U.S. Negotiates Deportation Deal with Rwanda Despite Human Rights Outcry

Negotiations are underway between the United States and Rwanda over a potential deal to transfer third-country nationals deported from the U.S. to Rwanda, officials from both countries confirmed this week.

Discussions regarding financial compensation and logistical details are expected to take place within the next two weeks, according to a Rwandan official.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a televised cabinet meeting alongside former President Donald Trump, emphasized the administration’s aggressive stance on deportations.

“We are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings,’” Rubio said, adding, “The further away from America, the better.”

The push to outsource deportations echoes a similar arrangement with El Salvador, where deportees have been imprisoned in the notorious CECOT facility — a move that has prompted multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, other countries, including Panama and Mexico, despite Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s public opposition to Trump, have also agreed to accept non-native deportees.

However, critics argue that Rwanda’s involvement raises serious human rights concerns. A 2024 Washington Post report detailed accusations against the Rwandan government, including the arrest, torture, and intimidation of political dissidents’ families.

UN investigators have also implicated Rwanda in supporting rebel groups and in the suppression, disappearance, or murder of opposition figures.

The Rwandan government has reportedly been lobbying for years to position itself as a preferred destination for deportees, a move some observers say is part of an effort to rehabilitate its image amid longstanding allegations of human rights abuses.

A U.S. official who previously worked on Rwandan relations under the Biden administration warned that Rwanda’s increasing ties to Trump’s administration could limit American leverage.

“The cozier Rwanda gets with the Trump administration, the less likely they are going to press them to make concessions,” the official said, suggesting it could also impact ongoing peace negotiations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the pro-democracy organization Vanguard Africa, sharply criticized the deportation plan, calling it “morally and legally reprehensible.” Speaking to the Washington Post, Smith argued, “This is merely a ploy to garner positive headlines and a cynical way to compel Western governments, like the U.S., to look the other way when inevitable human rights abuses are committed.”

As talks continue, the proposed agreement faces mounting scrutiny from human rights advocates and international observers alike.