Kampala, Uganda: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified that Uganda will only host a restricted category of deported immigrants from the United States under a temporary arrangement, and not a blanket acceptance of all U.S.-rejected asylum seekers.
Permanent Secretary Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, in a statement released Thursday, said the hosting will only apply to third-country nationals denied asylum in the U.S. but reluctant or unable to return to their home countries.
“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,” Bagiire said.
He added that the arrangement comes with strict exclusions: individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted, while Uganda prefers that those hosted should be from African countries.
Bagiire stressed that the deal is a temporary bilateral cooperation framework with Washington, not a permanent relocation plan, and that both governments are still working on the modalities for implementation.
The clarification comes amid public debate and speculation over Uganda’s role in U.S. migration policy. American outlet, The New York Times, reported in July that deportees had been sent to El Salvador, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Jamaica, and Haiti.
Uganda already hosts over 1.6 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries.
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