Uganda agrees deal with US to take deported migrants

Uganda has reached an agreement with the United States to take in nationals from third countries who may not get asylum in the U.S. but are reluctant to return to their countries of origin.

Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry made this known via a statement issued by its permanent secretary, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

United States President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and his administration has sought to increase removals to third countries, including by sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.

Waiswa stated: “As part of the bilateral cooperation between Uganda and the United States, an agreement for cooperation in the examination of protection requests was concluded.

“The agreement is in respect of Third Country Nationals who may not be granted asylum in the United States but are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin.

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“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted.”

Waiswa added that Uganda would prefer to receive people from African nationalities under the agreement.

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

On Wednesday, another Ugandan foreign affairs official had denied a U.S. media report that the East African country had agreed to take in people deported from the United States, saying it lacked the facilities to accommodate them.

Uganda, a U.S. ally in East Africa, also hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers, who mostly hail from countries in the region such as Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.

The Star