Finally: Ugandan Gov’t Confirms Receiving US Deported Migrants, Reveals Secret Behind This Deal

By Swift Reporter 

The Government of Uganda has finally confirmed receiving eight individuals transferred from the United States under a bilateral agreement on the examination of protection requests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

The agreement, signed in July 2025, allows for the transfer of third-country nationals of African origin who are neither Ugandan nor American.

“These are individuals whose asylum requests were not granted in the U.S. and who may face challenges returning to their countries of origin. Uganda has been designated a “safe third country” under the arrangement, which aligns with the nation’s laws and international obligations, including the principle of non-refoulement that protects individuals from being returned to countries where they may face torture or inhumane treatment.”

The eight individuals arrived in Uganda on 1st April 2026, following approval of their cases by a U.S. immigration judge. Their identities have not been disclosed for privacy reasons. “Uganda continues to uphold its longstanding commitment to providing sanctuary to persons in need and ensuring that they are treated with dignity,” said Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The transfer comes just a day after the Uganda Law Society (ULS) filed a legal challenge in court to halt the operation, citing potential human rights violations and concerns over procedural irregularities. The ULS argued that key government institutions, including the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Parliament, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had not been properly consulted.

ULS Vice-President Anthony Asiimwe said the transfer “reduces individuals into little more than chattel for the benefit of unnamed, private interests on either side of the Atlantic.” The lawyers also expressed concern over reports that private contractors could profit from the deportation process, which they described as “undignified, harrowing, and dehumanising.”

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the bilateral arrangement is temporary and subject to strict conditions. “Criminal offenders and unaccompanied minors are not included, and only individuals of African origin are eligible for transfer under the agreement.” The Ministry emphasized that detailed modalities for implementation have been agreed upon with the United States.

The legal challenge by the ULS seeks to stop the transfers and ensure that Uganda’s obligations to international law and human rights standards are upheld. “We view this as one gust from the ill winds of transnational repression,” the Society said in a statement, calling for urgent court intervention.

Despite the controversy, Uganda has already received the eight individuals, marking the first operational implementation of the Safe Third Country Agreement between Uganda and the United States.