Overview

• Permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa said the arrangement applies to third‑country nationals denied U.S. asylum, excludes people with criminal records and unaccompanied minors, and favors transfers of Africans.
• Kampala described the pact as temporary and said numbers, timelines, vetting and support services are still being worked out after earlier mixed messages from senior officials.
• Uganda already hosts roughly 1.7–1.8 million refugees, the largest number in Africa, sharpening questions about capacity and resources.
• The deal expands a U.S. push for third‑country removals that includes Rwanda’s pledge to take up to 250 people with case‑by‑case approval and South Sudan’s confirmation that it received eight men in July.
• Eswatini received five men with criminal backgrounds last month and is holding them in custody, as UNHCR and human‑rights groups warn such transfers risk breaching the non‑refoulement principle.