Amnesty International Slams Rwanda-US Deportation Deal Over Refugee Rights Concerns

Amnesty International has sharply criticized Rwanda’s new agreement to accept deportees from the United States, saying the deal poses a serious risk of violating international refugee protections and lacks clear guarantees around human rights and due process.

The organization’s Senior Campaigner, Christian Rumu, said the arrangement undermines the 1951 Refugee Convention, especially over the threat of refoulement; the illegal return of asylum seekers to a country where they may face persecution.

“There is a real risk of violation of international law that Rwanda is putting migrants through with this deal,” Rumu said, adding that reforms to Rwanda’s asylum system remain untested and may not provide sufficient protections or appeals for deportees.

Rwanda has been criticized before for similar deals, most notably its collapsed agreement with the United Kingdom, and for its record of human rights violations, including:

• Deaths in custody of perceived government critics
• Alleged extrajudicial killings of exiles abroad
• The abduction and detention of a U.S. resident from Dubai, released only after U.S. government pressure

Human rights advocates have repeatedly sounded alarms over Rwanda’s treatment of political opponents, as well as its role in military conflicts in the region.

U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of supporting rebel forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where two cities were recently seized, exacerbating fears of regional war and triggering sanctions and aid restrictions from several Western nations.

Rwandan officials argue the country has both the capacity and experience to assist with the global migration crisis, pointing to a 2019 deal with the U.N. refugee agency to host migrants evacuated from Libya.

That program included:

• A transit center for up to 700 evacuees
• Support for over 2,400 people to date
• Promises of paperwork processing within three months
• Rwanda shouldering costs for up to five years

However, it remains unclear whether the new deal with the United States will follow similar terms or ensure comparable legal safeguards.

Analysts suggest Rwanda’s decision to accept U.S. deportees may be aimed at improving its international standing, particularly with Washington, amid strained ties due to military activities in the Congo and ongoing human rights concerns.

The Trump administration, while pressuring Rwanda over rebel links, is also pushing for a regional peace deal, and may see cooperation on deportations as a diplomatic opening.

Still, Amnesty International and other watchdogs are warning that without firm human rights guarantees, the deal could expose vulnerable migrants to harm, and set a dangerous precedent for international refugee protection norms.