Uganda has entered into a temporary agreement with the United States to accept nationals from third countries who may not qualify for asylum in the US but are unwilling to return to their home countries.
The agreement, announced by Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, comes with conditions, including not accepting individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors.
Uganda will prioritize accepting people from African nationalities under the agreement, and the two countries are currently working out the implementation details.
This move is part of the US government’s efforts to increase deportations to third countries, with President Donald Trump’s administration aiming to deport millions of immigrants who entered the US illegally.
The agreement has sparked debate, with a Ugandan foreign affairs official previously denying reports that the country had agreed to take in deportees from the US, citing a lack of facilities to accommodate them.
Uganda currently hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan.
The US has been working to increase removals to third countries, including sending convicted criminals to countries like South Sudan and Eswatini.
