The US will begin sending illegal migrants to Rwanda after it signed a deal to accept deportees.

The African nation will accept up to 250 migrants removed under Donald Trump’s mass-deportation programme, a Rwandan government spokesman told Reuters.

The deal was inked in Kigali in June, the official said, adding that Washington had already sent a preliminary list of 10 deportees to be vetted by Rwanda.

“Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants, in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,” said Yolande Makolo, a spokesman for the Rwandan government.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kigali has the final say on each individual proposed for resettlement, with those who are approved offered workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation support.

This is designed to “jumpstart” their lives in Rwanda, the spokesman said, “giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest growing economies in the world over the last decade”.