Faith Nyasuguta
Amnesty International has slammed a new agreement between Rwanda and the United States that would see the East African country take in deportees from the U.S, raising serious concerns over the potential violation of international migration laws and refugee protections.
The global human rights watchdog says the move mirrors the controversial deal between Rwanda and the United Kingdom, a plan that faced heavy backlash over fears of refoulement, or the forced return of individuals to countries where they could face danger. According to Christian Rumu, Senior Campaigner at Amnesty International, the same risks now hang over the U.S. deal.
“What we have raised as a concern with the UK deal, for instance, over the past years was the fact that there was a risk of refoulement of people who were deported from the UK to Rwanda,” Rumu said. “That is in contravention of the Refugee Convention, and that risk is still there right now.”
Rumu also expressed doubts about the robustness of Rwanda’s asylum process, particularly the lack of tested appeal mechanisms. While some reforms were made in 2023 to improve the system, Amnesty says it’s too early to determine their effectiveness. “There is a real risk of violation of international law that Rwanda is putting migrants through with this deal,” Rumu warned.
Rwanda, on the other hand, insists that it has the capacity and infrastructure to handle migrants and ease the burden on Western nations struggling with immigration challenges. The country has previously hosted migrants from Libya under a deal with the UN refugee agency, providing temporary accommodation for over 2,400 evacuees since 2019.
Still, skepticism remains, largely due to Rwanda’s checkered human rights record. Activists point to deaths in custody of political critics, forced disappearances, and cross-border assassinations of Rwandans living in exile, including mysterious killings in South Africa. One high-profile case involved a U.S. resident who was lured to Kigali under false pretenses while in Dubai. He was only released after intervention by the Biden administration.
Rwanda has often responded angrily to such accusations, but the controversies continue to pile up. Its military activities in the region have also come under fire. The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels who recently seized strategic towns in mineral-rich eastern Congo. The escalation sparked international outrage, prompting some Western countries to cut aid or freeze diplomatic ties. Rwanda claims its actions are aimed at protecting ethnic Tutsis in Congo.
Interestingly, the deportation deal with the U.S. comes at a time when Rwanda is under pressure to rehabilitate its image on the global stage. Experts suggest that hosting deportees may be a strategic move to earn goodwill from Washington and other Western allies. The Trump administration previously sanctioned a Rwandan minister over rebel ties and is now pushing for a regional peace settlement.
As of now, the exact terms of the U.S.-Rwanda deal remain unclear. In previous migration arrangements, Rwanda committed to processing migrants’ documents within three months, offering temporary stay or repatriation support, and covering financial costs for up to five years. It is uncertain whether the same provisions will apply under the new U.S. agreement.
For Amnesty and other human rights defenders, one thing is clear, the risks remain high, and the international community must keep a close eye on how this latest deal unfolds.
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