Administration mulls over relocating migrants to Libya and Rwanda, according to insiders
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The Trump administration has been bantering with Libya and Rwanda about shipping migrants with criminal records in the U.S. to those two nations, according to various sources privy to the talks.
This shady plan is a significant escalation in the administration's attempts to discourage people from journeying to the United States and booting some who are already here to distant lands, some with a sketchy past. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January, directing top officials to work on international cooperation and agreements to shove asylum seekers elsewhere.
Apart from offloading criminals, Trump officials are keen on getting formal negotiations going with Libya to strike a so-called safe third country agreement. If this arrangement were to be sealed, the U.S. could ship asylum seekers apprehended at the border to Libya. It's murky who'll be eligible for this treatment.
A State Department spokesperson declined to spill the beans on the diplomatic gossip, but confirmed they're "hustling worldwide to implement the Trump Administration's immigration policies."
No prizes for guessing who CNN reached out to for a comment about these shenanigans – Libyan Gen. Saddam Haftar, who was in Washington for chats with officials this week.
Before you scoff, remember that the administration has already attempted to strike safe third country agreements with countries in the Western hemisphere to lighten the burden on the U.S. asylum system and curb migration to the U.S. They've also ramped up cooperation with countries to detain people removed from the U.S., the latest being El Salvador.
But don't think this outlandish plan stops at Libya and Rwanda. The State Department is reportedly haggling with other countries as well, though the details are as secret as Area 51.
"I ain't mincing words – we're on a wild goose chase for countries willing to take people from third countries," declared Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Cabinet meeting this week.
Rubio added, "We're working with other nations to say, 'We want to offload some of the most despicable human beings to your countries – will you do that as a favor to us?' And the further away from America, the better, so they can't sneak back across the border."
This week, senior State Department officials convened with Libyan officials to discuss the cunning proposal to ship migrants to North Africa.
What's the U.S. got up its sleeve to seal the deal? Sources believe the Trump administration might follow through on another travel ban against visitors from several countries, a move that could be a tempting offer for countries willing to cooperate.
Alarm bells started blaring when a United Nations report in 2024 highlighted numerous human rights violations in Libya for years and expressed concerns over accountability for these violations. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have also documented systematic abuses of migrants, including allegations of forced labor, beatings, sexual assaults, and torture.
Now, let's hop over to Rwanda. There's been some chin-wagging between the U.S. and Rwanda this week to push a plan to offload immigrants with criminal records who have served their time in the U.S. Rwanda might accept these deportees and offer them social assistance, such as a stipend and job assistance, instead of imprisoning them.
The negotiations with Rwanda date back to the early days of the Trump administration when they scrutinized multiple countries to gauge interest in deporting illegal migrants in the U.S. Rwanda expressed willingness to discuss the matter, sources claimed.
One deportation took place in March, from the U.S. to Rwanda, which some regarded as a potential blueprint for larger-scale operations. The individual deported was a refugee from Iraq named Omar Abdulsattar Ameen.
However, legal challenges could persist. Last month, a federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration from deporting people to countries other than their own without first providing due process. The removal of third-country migrants to Libya and Rwanda remains a contentious issue with a high likelihood of sparks flying.
- The Trump administration's plan to ship migrants with criminal records in the U.S. to Libya and Rwanda is a dramatic discontinuation of their policy-and-legislation, indicating a general news development in the realms of politics and immigration.
- The likelihood of sparks flying is high regarding the Trump administration's attempts to offload asylum seekers apprehended at the border to Libya, as part of a proposed safe third country agreement.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that they are sending diplomatic feelers worldwide to implement the Trump Administration's immigration policies, which includes haggling with other countries apart from Libya and Rwanda to ship migrants to distant lands.
- In light of the proposed plan to ship migrants to North Africa and a potential travel ban against visitors from several countries, the likelihood of human rights abuses for these migrants in Libya remains a serious general news concern, as highlighted by a United Nations report in 2024.
