A group of 12 deportees from the United States arrived in Uganda on Thursday, marking the first known transfer under a bilateral arrangement that allows Kampala to receive migrants Washington cannot easily return to their countries of origin.
The development signals a widening of President Donald Trump’s third-country deportation policy, a controversial strategy that has drawn criticism from legal and human rights groups who argue it risks sending migrants to countries where they have no family, legal status or meaningful ties.
According to the Uganda Law Society, the deportees landed at Entebbe International Airport early Thursday and were subjected to what it described as an “undignified, harrowing and dehumanising process.” The legal body said it intends to challenge the deportations in court, raising the prospect of an early legal test for the arrangement.
The U.S. Embassy in Kampala confirmed the existence of a Safe Third Country Agreement between Uganda and the United States, saying all such transfers are conducted “in full cooperation with the Government of Uganda.” However, embassy officials declined to provide details about the individuals involved, citing privacy and diplomatic sensitivity.
Uganda’s foreign ministry had not issued a formal public response by Thursday afternoon, but a senior Ugandan government official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the arrivals and said the deportees would remain in Uganda during a “transition phase” that could involve onward relocation to other countries.
It was not immediately clear what nationalities the deportees hold, a detail that could prove central to any legal or diplomatic fallout from the case.
The move makes Uganda one of a growing number of African countries now involved in receiving non-national deportees from the United States. Others reportedly include Ghana, South Sudan, Cameroon and Eswatini, reflecting a broader effort by Washington to find external partners willing to host migrants whose repatriation has stalled.
The arrangement first came to public attention in August, when Ugandan authorities announced an understanding with Washington under which Uganda would receive some individuals who had been denied asylum in the United States and were unwilling or unable to return home.
At the time, Ugandan officials said the country would not accept deportees with criminal records or unaccompanied minors, and that the arrangement would prioritise people of African descent. Those conditions now appear likely to come under renewed scrutiny following the arrival of the first group.
The issue is particularly sensitive in Uganda because the country already hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, with nearly two million refugees, most of them from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Uganda’s open-door refugee policy is under growing financial and logistical strain.
Critics say accepting third-country deportees could place additional pressure on already stretched resources while raising difficult questions about legal protection, residency status and long-term integration.
Supporters of the agreement, however, may argue it offers Uganda a diplomatic and strategic partnership opportunity with Washington at a time when migration policy is becoming an increasingly important area of international bargaining.
Still, the arrival of the 12 deportees is likely to intensify debate over the ethics, legality and practical consequences of outsourcing migration enforcement to third countries.
With Uganda’s legal community already preparing a challenge, the first test of the policy may now move from the airport tarmac to the courtroom.
