Uganda receives first US deportation flight under third-country agreement
Uganda Receives First US Deportation Flight Under Third-Country Agreement
Donald Trump’s administration has initiated a new phase of its immigration strategy with the arrival of a deportation flight in Uganda, the first under an agreement signed between the two nations in August. The 12 individuals on board are expected to remain in the eastern African country temporarily, serving as a stepping stone for potential relocation to other destinations, according to an unnamed Ugandan official.
The Uganda Law Society has criticized the process, calling it “a harrowing and dehumanising experience that reduces [deportees] to mere property for private interests on both sides of the Atlantic.” The group plans to challenge the deportations in Ugandan and regional courts, highlighting the lack of dignity in the procedure.
“We do not, however, discuss the details of our private diplomatic communications and for privacy reasons, we cannot share specifics about their cases,” said Yasmeen Hibrawi, a public affairs counsellor at the US embassy in Kampala.
Under the terms of the deal, Uganda agreed to accept migrants from third countries who might not qualify for asylum in the US but are “reluctant” to return home. The agreement does not specify whether the US covers costs, though it excludes individuals with criminal records or unaccompanied minors.
Other African nations participating in the program include Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan, which have received deportees from countries such as Cuba, Jamaica, Yemen, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. The US has already sent dozens of people to these nations, with Eswatini receiving a total of 15 individuals in July and October, according to Reuters.
Uganda, which hosts nearly 2 million refugees and asylum seekers—primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan—has seen hundreds of asylum seekers ordered for deportation. The government of Uganda stated before the flight’s arrival that no deportees had been sent yet, citing a “cost analysis” to ensure efficiency. Minister Oryem Okello emphasized that large-scale deportations, such as “planeloads,” are more effective than small batches.
As of 12 March, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained over 63,000 people. A report by Human Rights First and Raices revealed that toddlers and newborns were among the 5,600 individuals imprisoned at an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas, between April 2025 and February 2026.