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Deportation

Tanzania, Uganda, and the US: A Critical Examination of the Asylum Deal

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A deal to deport asylum seekers from the US to Uganda has been announced, with Uganda agreeing to take on an unspecified number of third-country nationals who have a pending asylum claim in the US but cannot return home due to safety concerns. This arrangement, signed by the ambassadors of the two countries in July 2025, follows similar bilateral agreements with other African countries, including South Sudan, Eswatini, Ghana, and Rwanda. The deal has sparked concern among critics, who argue that it is legally questionable and diplomatically unpopular, and may lead to the externalization of asylum seekers from the US.

Key Takeaways:

  • The asylum deal between the US and Uganda is the latest in a series of such agreements between the US and African countries, with others including South Sudan, Eswatini, Ghana, and Rwanda.
  • Uganda has agreed to take on an unspecified number of third-country nationals who have a pending asylum claim in the US but cannot return home due to safety concerns.
  • The deal does not include people with a criminal background or unaccompanied minors, but the written agreement only mentions minors.
  • Uganda is set to receive development funds in return for taking on the asylum seekers and retains discretion on a case-by-case basis.
  • The deal is shrouded in secrecy, as is common with such agreements, and the terms of the arrangements are not fully clear.
  • Opponents of the deal have criticized it, but President Yoweri Museveni has shown little concern for their misgivings.
  • Uganda has a long history of refugee protection and currently hosts 1.8 million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • The country has a reputation as one of the most generous places towards refugees, but refugee numbers are growing, and conflicts between them and host communities over land and environmental damage are increasing.

Statistics:

  • The US is planning to deport asylum seekers to Uganda under the new deal.
  • Uganda currently hosts 1.8 million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • Uganda has agreed to take on up to 2,000 refugees from Afghanistan on behalf of the US in August 2021.
  • The Ugandan government provides refugees with a plot of land to farm, free access to schools and healthcare, and the ability to work.
  • Refugee numbers in Uganda are growing, and conflicts between them and host communities over land and environmental damage are increasing.

Sources:

  • The Citizen
  • HT Digital Content Services
  • The Arnold Bergstraesser Institute
  • Kyambogo University
  • The US-Uganda asylum deal
  • The 1969 Refugee Convention
  • The African Union
  • The European Union
  • The African Growth and Opportunity Act
  • USAID development assistance programme
  • The US trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act

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