news 3 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Receives First Eight US Deportees Under 2025 Safe Third Country Agreement
Uganda has confirmed the arrival of eight African third-country nationals deported from the US after their asylum claims were rejected, marking the first under a 2025 Safe Third Country Deal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized compliance with international laws, excluding criminals and minors. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-confirms-receiving-eight-us-deportees-whose-asylum-claims-were-rejected-5412424
Uganda has officially received its first group of deportees from the United States under the 2025 Safe Third Country Agreement. The eight individuals, third-country nationals of African origin, had their US asylum requests denied and arrived in Uganda on April 1, 2026.
Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the deal aligns with Uganda’s laws and global obligations, including non-refoulement protections against returns to places of harm. These deportees are neither Ugandan nor American citizens, and their cases were pre-approved by a US immigration judge.
Bagiire noted that Uganda will process their protection claims while safeguarding privacy and treating them with dignity. The agreement, signed in July 2025, prioritizes Africans and excludes criminals or minors.
The move is part of a broader US strategy under President Trump to expedite deportations of undocumented migrants, especially those with criminal records whose home countries resist repatriation. Similar pacts exist with nations like Rwanda and South Sudan.
President Museveni has praised Trump’s deportation efforts, calling irregular migrants ‘wanderers’ and urging them to develop their own countries.
Public reaction in Uganda is divided: supporters see it as shared responsibility, while critics, including the Uganda Law Society, question its legality and impact on local resources and rights.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)