Uganda has confirmed signing a new agreement with the United States that will allow certain third-country nationals denied asylum in America to be temporarily relocated to Uganda.
The announcement was made by Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who described the deal as part of ongoing bilateral cooperation between Kampala and Washington.
Bagiire explained that the arrangement will cover migrants who are unable or unwilling to return to their countries of origin after being denied asylum in the US.
He stressed, however, that the relocation will only be temporary and 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.
Uganda also noted it prefers that most of those relocated under the deal should be from African countries.
Both governments are still finalizing the modalities for implementation.
The deal is part of a broader push by Washington to secure deportation agreements with countries around the world. So far, at least a dozen nations have signed on.
Earlier this month, Rwanda confirmed it would accept up to 250 migrants under a similar arrangement, while reserving the right to approve each individual case.
Human rights groups have previously expressed concern about such agreements, warning that migrants could face secondary deportations to places where their safety cannot be guaranteed.
