The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a deeply controversial proposal: sending illegal immigrants with criminal records to far-flung countries like Libya and Rwanda — both known for grave human rights concerns, especially within their prison systems.
This strategy, if implemented, would represent a major escalation in Trump’s immigration crackdown, with a dual objective: deterrence of future illegal crossings and offshoring the cost and responsibility of detention and deportation.
According to reports, the administration is currently in talks with both the Libyan and Rwandan governments to facilitate deals that would allow the transfer of migrants with criminal backgrounds. These transfers could include those who have already been removed from the U.S., or potentially, those seeking asylum but deemed ineligible.
Trump cracks down on illegal immigration, exploring deals to send criminal illegal immigrants to Rwanda and Libya. If getting sent to CECOT in El Salvador didn’t scare you enough, try Libya and Rwanda. pic.twitter.com/gBGh6sCx1r
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) April 30, 2025
Trump’s team is also pursuing what’s known as a “safe third country agreement” with Libya — a type of deal where asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S. border could be rerouted to another country considered “safe” for refugees. Critics argue that labeling Libya as “safe” is a legal and moral stretch, given its documented abuses.
“We are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Wednesday Cabinet meeting.
“The further away from America, the better.”
Rubio’s blunt comments laid bare the administration’s intent: not merely deportation, but strategic placement that makes return or reentry virtually impossible.
The choice of these two nations raises immediate red flags:
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Libya is infamous for its chaotic militia-run detention centers, where torture, starvation, and abuse of migrants are well documented by international human rights watchdogs.
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Rwanda, while more stable, also faces accusations of torture, overcrowding, and coerced confessions within its prison system.
Sending individuals — even those with criminal records — to these environments could violate international human rights laws, and spark a legal avalanche, both domestically and internationally.
While Trump has long pushed aggressive immigration enforcement — including family separations, remain-in-Mexico protocols, and travel bans — this latest move pushes into uncharted territory.
Key concerns include:
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Violations of U.S. asylum law, which prohibits returning migrants to countries where they could face persecution.
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Potential challenges under international law, particularly the 1951 Refugee Convention.
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Due process questions, especially if removals are done without individualized assessments or legal representation.
And then there’s the moral optics: forcibly relocating people — some of whom may have committed minor infractions or be asylum seekers caught in bureaucratic limbo — to countries with records of inhumane treatment, sends a clear message: America no longer wants to be the last refuge.
If adopted, this policy will undoubtedly face multiple court challenges, as many of Trump’s prior immigration moves have. Human rights groups, immigration attorneys, and likely even some within the foreign policy establishment, will push back hard.
🔴 Libya’s Sednaya Prison
Horrific videos were leaked on Sunday showing a group of guards torturing Libyans in Qarnada Prison in Eastern #Libya.
The Notorious Qarnada prison is known for holding political prisoners opposed to warlord Khalifa Haftar, backed by UAE and Egypt. pic.twitter.com/hzSGBiQDHl
— DOAM (@doamuslims) January 14, 2025
There’s also the question of whether Libya or Rwanda would even accept such transfers. Both countries would likely demand substantial financial incentives or political concessions. And any such deal would immediately become a flashpoint on the international stage.
