Keypoints:
- Uganda confirms temporary US asylum deal
- Excludes criminals and unaccompanied minors
- Kampala already hosts nearly two million refugees
UGANDA has reached an agreement with the United States to host nationals from third countries who fail to secure asylum in America but are unwilling to return to their homelands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday.
The deal comes as President Donald Trump intensifies his campaign to deport millions of immigrants living illegally in the US, including expanding removals to third countries. His administration has previously sent deportees, including those with criminal records, to South Sudan and Eswatini.
‘Temporary arrangement with conditions’
Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, permanent secretary at Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry, described the deal as a limited arrangement subject to strict conditions.
‘This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,’ he said in a statement.
Waiswa also noted that Uganda would prioritise accepting asylum seekers of African origin. ‘The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented,’ he added.
Clarification after initial denial
The announcement follows conflicting reports earlier in the week. On Wednesday, another Ugandan foreign affairs official denied a US media report suggesting that Kampala had agreed to take in deportees from the US. The official at the time argued that the country lacked adequate facilities to accommodate them.
Thursday’s confirmation from Waiswa, however, appears to clarify Uganda’s stance, underscoring that the arrangement is limited, conditional, and temporary.
Uganda already hosts millions of refugees
Uganda, a longstanding US ally in East Africa, is already one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting nations. It currently shelters nearly two million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from regional neighbours such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.
The new agreement with Washington adds another layer to Uganda’s asylum role. Officials in Kampala insist that the arrangement will not compromise the country’s existing commitments to displaced persons in the region.
Political context in Washington
The development also ties into Washington’s shifting immigration policies. President Trump has made deportations a centrepiece of his administration, repeatedly stressing his intent to return millions of undocumented migrants to their countries of origin or, where that is not possible, to third states willing to host them.
The agreement with Uganda could therefore be seen as part of a broader strategy to secure international partners for America’s hardline immigration approach.
Next steps under negotiation
While no timetable has been released, Ugandan and US officials are now working on the practical details of the arrangement. Key issues expected to shape the negotiations include processing procedures, oversight mechanisms and the number of individuals Uganda will be expected to take in.
Despite criticism from some quarters, Kampala appears determined to maintain strong ties with Washington while managing the humanitarian pressures of being a major refugee destination.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that the deal remains under discussion and final modalities are still being developed.
