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.
The regime always accepts the devil’s rejects from all over the world in order to earn money.
Lysol, thanks.
Ugandans MUST becomf ONE people to have control of the zone formed by their tribal lands or another immigrant will replace Rwandese Museveni’s family!
Why are Ugandans waiting for 2031 fake presidential election to ensure Museveni stays on?
Why will Ugandans go for next useless parliamentary election that will prove they want Rwandese Museveni, so protect him with fake elections?
This, according to public reports, is no surprise; it has been in the works for a while. Uganda’s president Mr. Museveni (Tibuhaburwa Rutabasirwa) has been on his (proverbial) knees begging President Trump to look the other way as Museveni Tibuhaburwa Rutabasirwa keeps his boots on the necks of Ugandans. The best chance for Mr. Tibuhaburwa Rutabasirwa is to have what America has rejected — that way, he hopes hopes that Mr. Trump does not impose tough sanctions on Uganda’s military-make-believe- democratic regime.
The same records show that Mr. Tibuhaburwa Rutabasirwa was able to get away from President Biden’s crushing sanctions by using lobbyists to convince Mr. Biden to resettle into Uganda dozens of ‘refugees’ from Afghanistan (mostly former fighters) right after the US ‘withdraw’ from Afghanistan.
The fact that they can’t return to their respective countries of origin it appears they were kind of dissidents there.
Hope they don’t use Uganda to launch rebel activities to their respective countries. Otherwise as long as they are not criminals, not political dissidents and they are not coming with gay and lesbian agendas, they could be welcome as long as Trump gives us money to sustain them. After all none of us chose to be born where we find ourselves