A controversial U.S. deportation deal is making headlines tonight. Seven migrants deported from the United States have arrived in Rwanda—the first of an expected 250 to be taken in under an agreement reached with President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, the first group landed in mid-August. While their nationalities were not disclosed, officials confirmed that four will remain in Rwanda, while three have chosen to return to their countries of origin.

Rights groups are raising concerns, warning the deportations may violate international law if individuals are sent to places where they risk torture or persecution. Still, the Rwandan government insists that all deportees will receive appropriate care and protection, with oversight from the International Organization for Migration and local social services.

Trump, now in his second term, has made mass deportations a cornerstone of his immigration policy, with at least a dozen countries so far agreeing to accept migrants removed from the U.S.

For Rwanda, the deal highlights a complicated record. The country previously partnered with the UN and African Union, taking in nearly 3,000 refugees evacuated from Libya between 2019 and 2025. Rwanda also struck a controversial asylum deal with the UK in 2022, but that agreement was later scrapped by Britain’s new government, even after paying Kigali hundreds of millions of pounds to build housing facilities.

What remains unclear is whether Rwanda is receiving financial support for this latest U.S. deal. The development also comes months after Washington helped broker a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, even as Kigali continues to face accusations—denied by its leaders—of backing rebel groups in the region.

As deportations proceed, the question remains: is Rwanda a safe haven for migrants, or a destination fraught with risk?

Reporting by Ehud Jones.