Uganda has reached an agreement with the United States to accept deported migrants, but only under strict conditions that exclude those with criminal records and unaccompanied minors, officials confirmed Thursday.
According to a statement from Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry, both governments are finalizing the detailed modalities of the deal, which Kampala said has already been “concluded.” Uganda also emphasized a preference for accepting deportees of African nationalities.
International Relations Minister Henry Okello Oryem stressed that while Uganda is globally recognized for its generous refugee policy, there are clear limits. He questioned why the country should take in people rejected by their home nations, warning of the challenges of integrating such individuals into local communities.
“We are talking about cartels: people who are unwanted in their own countries. How can we integrate them into local communities in Uganda?” Oryem told The Associated Press, adding that government priorities remain focused on issues like visas, tariffs, and sanctions not absorbing “illegal aliens from the U.S.”
The development comes after the U.S. recently deported five men with criminal backgrounds to Eswatini and eight others to South Sudan, raising concerns about how African nations are being positioned in Washington’s broader deportation strategy.
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