Rwanda has agreed to accept up to 250 deportees from the United States as part of President Donald Trump’s expanding third-country deportation programme, the East African nation confirmed on Tuesday.

The move marks the latest phase in the US administration’s plan to strike agreements with foreign governments to take in migrants the US deems ineligible for residency—particularly those Trump has described as “the worst of the worst.”

No specific date has been given for when the deportations to Rwanda will begin.

The US has already deported 13 immigrants to South Sudan and Eswatini under similar arrangements, sending eight men to South Sudan and five to Eswatini last month. Authorities in both countries have remained tight-lipped about the details of the agreements, but US officials claimed the deportees were convicted criminals.

Rwanda is the first African country to publicly confirm its participation in the initiative. Its government previously signed a controversial deal with the United Kingdom in 2022 to receive asylum seekers who had entered the UK illegally. That arrangement was heavily criticised by human rights groups and ultimately struck down by the UK’s Supreme Court in 2023.

The new US-Rwanda deal follows weeks of speculation after Rwanda announced in May that talks were underway with Washington.

Meanwhile, some African nations have resisted US pressure to participate in similar deals. In July, Nigeria rejected a request to take in 300 deported Venezuelans, citing its own internal challenges. Libya also pushed back in May, denying reports of a deportation agreement with the US.

Trump’s administration has deported hundreds of immigrants to countries including Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama as part of its broader third-country strategy. Rights advocates have warned that these deals often lack transparency and raise questions about safety and due process for deportees.