news 3 April 2026 The Observer (Uganda)
Uganda Receives 20 US-Rejected Asylum Seekers Amid Legal Backlash
Uganda has accepted 20 asylum seekers from the US, including eight third-country nationals who arrived at Entebbe Airport on April 3, 2026, under a bilateral agreement. The move has triggered criticism from legal groups and a High Court petition over capacity concerns. Source: https://observer.ug/news/us-dumps-20-rejected-asylum-seekers-in-uganda
A group of eight rejected asylum seekers from the United States, all third-country nationals of African origin, landed at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, April 3, 2026. This follows 12 others who arrived the previous day via a private charter flight, bringing the total to 20 under a US-Uganda agreement signed last July.
The deal, formalized on July 29, 2025, allows the US to send asylum claimants unlikely to gain protection there to Uganda for refugee status processing. Approved by US immigration judges, these individuals are neither Ugandan nor American and refuse return to their home countries. Uganda can reject cases, especially those with criminal records or unaccompanied minors, while upholding non-refoulement principles.
Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed the arrivals, with Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa citing the nation’s sanctuary tradition. State Minister Henry Okello Oryem called it a humanitarian effort for Africans rejected elsewhere. The US Embassy noted full cooperation but withheld case details for privacy.
Criticism has mounted from the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and East Africa Law Society, who labeled the transfers dehumanizing and filed a High Court petition to halt them. They question Uganda’s capacity, as the country already hosts nearly two million refugees from nations like DRC, South Sudan, Sudan, and Eritrea, per UNHCR data.
A recent policy paused new refugee grants for some nationalities due to funding shortages, fueling doubts about fair hearings. The court case will examine the arrangement’s compliance with Ugandan law and global obligations.
Source: The Observer (Uganda)