The Government of Uganda has confirmed that eight individuals denied asylum in the United States have been transferred to Uganda under the bilateral agreement with the US.
According to a official statement dated Friday, 3 April, 2026 and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, the transfers were conducted under the “Agreement for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests,” signed between Uganda and the United States in July 2025.
The agreement allows Uganda to process asylum claims for certain third-country nationals who are not citizens of either country but are of African origin.
According to the ministry, the eight individuals arrived in Uganda on April 1, 2026, after their cases were reviewed and approved by a U.S. immigration judge. Their identities have not been disclosed due to privacy considerations.
Authorities emphasized that Uganda remains committed to its longstanding role as a refuge for displaced persons and will handle the individuals’ protection requests in accordance with national laws and international obligations.
“The agreement conforms to Uganda’s legal framework and respects international principles, including non-refoulement,” the statement read, referring to the prohibition against returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution, torture, or inhumane treatment.
Officials further clarified that the arrangement applies specifically to individuals who may be unwilling or unable to return to their countries of origin, positioning Uganda as a “safe third country” capable of processing their asylum claims.
The announcement follows a legal challenge launched by the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and East African Law Society (EALS) against what it described as an unlawful and “dehumanising” deportation arrangement involving individuals forcibly removed from the United States and transported to Uganda.
In a statement on Thurday , and signed by ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, the law societies revealed that a privately operated aircraft carrying approximately a dozen deportees landed at Entebbe International Airport under what they described as “opaque circumstances.”
They allege that key state institutions—including Parliament, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, and even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—were not adequately consulted prior to the operation.
“This process has reduced human beings into little more than chattel,” the statement read, describing the deportation as “undignified, harrowing, and dehumanising.”
The legal bodies further raised concerns about the absence of a publicly available legal framework governing such transfers, warning that the arrangement could violate constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards. They also alleged the involvement of private contractors who may be profiting from relocating vulnerable individuals across borders without sufficient oversight or due process.
Framing the issue within a broader geopolitical context, the ULS and EALS characterized the transfers as part of a pattern of “transnational repression,” whereby more powerful nations externalize migration control to less powerful states. They argued that such practices risk undermining global commitments to equality, dignity, and justice.
The statement also linked the development to wider systemic concerns, including governance challenges and instability across regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and Central Africa. It criticized what it described as the “militarisation of society” in the United States, suggesting that such dynamics enable similar actions abroad.
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