Rwandan authorities announced this Thursday, August 28, the arrival of seven migrants expelled from the United States and held in Kigali since mid-August. This is the first group deported under a bilateral agreement that provides for the transfer of 250 people expelled by Washington.
Of the seven sports, three have already expressed their desire to return to their countries of origin. "All have received adequate support and protection from the Rwandan government," said government spokesperson Yolande Makolo.
"While four want to stay" in Rwanda and "build their lives there," he said.
Authorities did not disclose the nationalities of the seven sports, who arrived in the country as part of the agreement announced in early August that Rwanda would take in up to 250 migrants from the United States, on condition that each individual proposed for resettlement be approved.
Deportation campaign
Rwanda thus becomes a new destination for foreigners expelled by the United States as part of the Trump administration's deportation campaign, joining El Salvador, Uganda and South Sudan.
This first group arrived in mid-August and is being hosted by an international organization, with visits from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Rwandan social services, Kigali explained.
Activists accuse Rwanda of accepting the agreement solely for the money, failing to guarantee the proper treatment of the sports. There is also the possibility of strengthening ties with the United States, a mediator in the conflict between the Rwandan-backed M23 militia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
