Another eight rejected asylum seekers from the United States, all third-country nationals of African origin, have arrived at Entebbe International Airport today, Friday, April 3, 2026, under a US-Uganda bilateral agreement signed last July.
Approved by a US immigration judge, the group, who are neither Ugandan nor American citizens, marks Uganda’s entry into Washington’s expanding network of “safe third country” arrangements, a move that has already sparked domestic backlash.
The development follows the arrival of another group of 12 deportees who landed on April 2 aboard a private charter flight, drawing sharp criticism from the Uganda Law Society (ULS).
“This is an undignified, harrowing and dehumanizing spectacle that treats vulnerable people like chattel for unnamed private interests,” ULS said in a statement, adding that it had filed a High court petition alongside the East Africa Law Society seeking to block further transfers.
The legal bodies described the arrangement as an “international illegality” tied to what they called a broader authoritarian project. Uganda’s ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrivals, stating that the individuals were of African origin, neither Ugandan nor American, and unwilling to return to their countries of origin.
Permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa said the move aligns with Uganda’s “longstanding commitment to sanctuary and dignity.” State minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem framed the arrangement as a humanitarian intervention.
“It’s a humanitarian concern for Africans unwanted elsewhere,” he said. US Embassy officials in Kampala said the transfers were conducted “in full cooperation” with the Ugandan government, but declined to provide details on individual cases, citing privacy rules.
Signed on July 29, 2025, in Kampala and later published in the US Federal Register, the Agreement for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests allows the United States to transfer asylum seekers deemed unlikely to qualify for protection there, but who may face risks in their home countries to Uganda for full Refugee Status Determination.
Under the arrangement, Uganda retains the right to accept or reject cases individually and excludes persons with criminal records and unaccompanied minors. The agreement also emphasises the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they risk persecution or torture, as outlined in international refugee conventions.
Uganda’s Refugees Act, 2006, provides the legal framework for refugee status determination, while the US side of the agreement is anchored in provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Critics, however, argue that Uganda’s already strained refugee system may struggle to absorb additional arrivals. The country hosts nearly two million refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan and Eritrea, according to UNHCR figures.
A December 2025 policy also halted new refugee status grants for nationals from selected non-conflict countries amid donor funding cuts, raising concerns about capacity.
“Can our overburdened system guarantee fair, timely hearings?” the ULS petition asks, warning of potential due process challenges.
The court challenge is expected to test the legality of the arrangement under Ugandan law and international obligations, as authorities balance humanitarian commitments against capacity constraints.
