Uganda's Role in U.S. Third-Country Deportation Policy Unfolds

Twelve deportees from the United States arrived in Uganda under a bilateral agreement marking the nation's involvement in the U.S. third-country deportation policy. Uganda becomes the latest African country to accept non-national deportees amid criticism of undignified treatment. The Uganda Law Society plans to challenge the deportations' legality.

Twelve deportees from the United States landed in Uganda, marking the first transfer under a bilateral agreement with the U.S., said the Uganda Law Society. This marks an expansion of the Trump administration's third-country deportations policy, which faces criticism over legal and human rights concerns.

Neither Uganda's foreign ministry nor the U.S. Embassy in Kampala offered immediate comments. A senior Ugandan government official, preferring anonymity, confirmed the arrivals, stating the deportees would remain in Uganda during a transition phase that might lead to further relocations.

The deportation raises questions about the policy's impact as Uganda joins other African nations like Ghana, South Sudan, and Cameroon in accepting non-national deportees. The Uganda Law Society criticized the process as undignified and plans to file a legal challenge.

(With inputs from agencies.)