Rwandan officials have held preliminary discussions with some European Union member states about possibly hosting facilities for migrants transferred from Europe, two European Parliament lawmakers said after visiting Kigali last week. Tineke Strik and Anna Strolenberg said officials were open to the idea, but talks were at an early stage and no agreement had been reached.
In early September, Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands—the Group of Five—said they aimed to reach agreements this year to establish return hubs outside the EU. They have not publicly named potential host countries. An EU official told Reuters that Rwanda was among the states under consideration.
During the visit, the lawmakers were shown two sites prepared for Britain’s abandoned Rwanda deportation scheme that could potentially house migrants transferred from Europe. One was a hotel. The five governments were expected to meet again on Thursday alongside the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Rwanda has previously received migrants deported from the United States under an agreement covering up to 250 people. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Britain’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. After the deal was cancelled, Rwanda asked Britain for £50 million, or about $63.62 million. Rights groups say return hubs could weaken protections for migrants and asylum seekers; supporters argue they could increase returns and deter irregular migration.
Rwandan officials were not immediately available for comment. Strik called the five countries’ plans unrealistic, inhumane and costly. Strolenberg warned that placing more pressure on Rwanda and Uganda, which host large refugee populations and have been affected by US aid cuts, could strain humanitarian services.