Uganda Confirms Deal with U.S. to Host Some Rejected Asylum Seekers

Uganda has confirmed a new agreement with the United States that will see it temporarily host nationals from third countries who have been denied asylum in the U.S. but are unwilling to return to their countries of origin.

In a statement released on Thursday, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified the terms of the arrangement, which has raised eyebrows both domestically and abroad.

“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions, including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” said Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the ministry’s permanent secretary.

The deal comes as part of ongoing efforts by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, now reinstated, to drastically ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants. Washington has been exploring third-country relocation agreements to handle migrants who are ineligible for asylum in the United States, with previous deportations to countries like South Sudan and Eswatini already drawing criticism.

Uganda says it prefers to receive deportees of African origin under this new agreement, although detailed implementation plans are still being negotiated.

“The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented,” Waiswa added.

The confirmation follows confusion earlier in the week, when another foreign affairs official denied a U.S. media report suggesting Uganda had agreed to take in deportees, citing inadequate facilities. The government has since clarified that the current agreement is more limited in scope and does not involve receiving convicted criminals or vulnerable individuals such as minors.

Uganda, a longstanding U.S. ally in East Africa, already hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers primarily from neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan, making it one of the largest refugee-hosting nations in the world.