Rwanda has indicated it is open to hosting migrants transferred from European countries, although discussions remain preliminary and no agreements have been reached, two European lawmakers said on Wednesday.
Tineke Strik of the Greens/EFA group and Anna Strolenberg of Volt said Rwandan officials raised the possibility during meetings in Kigali last week.
The lawmakers said officials told them Rwanda was willing to consider facilities for migrants removed from European Union member states, but negotiations were still at an early stage.
Rwandan authorities were not immediately available for comment.
Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands have been discussing plans to establish so-called return hubs outside the EU for migrants who have no legal right to remain in the bloc.
The five countries, known as the Group of Five, said earlier this month they hoped to reach agreements with non-EU countries this year as part of efforts to increase deportations and reduce irregular migration.
They have not publicly identified possible host countries, although an EU official told Reuters that Rwanda was among those under consideration.
During their visit, Strik and Strolenberg were shown two facilities originally prepared for Britain’s abandoned Rwanda deportation programme. The sites, including a hotel, could potentially be used to accommodate migrants transferred from European countries.
The Group of Five is expected to meet again on Thursday on the sidelines of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Rwanda has increasingly positioned itself as a potential destination for migrants removed by Western governments, despite criticism from rights organisations over the country’s human rights record and concerns about protections for asylum seekers.
In 2025, Rwanda agreed to accept up to 250 people deported from the United States.
Britain also pursued a controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, but the UK Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the programme was unlawful. Kigali later sought a £50 million payment from Britain after the scheme was scrapped.
Rights groups have warned that offshore return hubs could weaken protections for migrants and asylum seekers. Supporters argue such arrangements could make deportations more effective and discourage irregular migration.
Strik described the plans being pursued by the five European governments as “unrealistic, inhumane and costly.”
Strolenberg also warned that Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda already host large refugee populations while humanitarian agencies are struggling with major cuts in foreign aid.
Both countries have seen food, healthcare and other refugee services reduced as funding has fallen.
“Uganda and Rwanda are one of the few stable countries in the region. Pressuring these countries by sending even more people is tempting fate,” Strolenberg said.
