Uganda Denies U.S. Deportation Agreement Amid Infrastructure Concerns

Uganda has denied reports of an agreement with the U.S. to accept deported migrants, citing insufficient facilities for accommodation. The claims emerged as the Trump administration strives to deport migrants, using third-country agreements. Uganda, already hosting many refugees, rebuffed suggestions of such arrangements.

On Wednesday, a senior Ugandan official refuted a U.S. media report claiming that Uganda had agreed to accept deported individuals from the United States. The report, based on internal U.S. government documents, suggested that Uganda was part of Washington's strategy to escalate deportations of migrants to nations where they lack citizenship.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem, denied the existence of any such agreement via a text message to Reuters, emphasizing Uganda's lack of necessary facilities to accommodate illegal immigrants. He expressed, "To the best of my knowledge we have not reached such an agreement."

This comes amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to deport millions of illegal immigrants to third countries, with provisions allowing asylum seekers to be redirected if those nations are deemed capable of fairly assessing their claims. Uganda, a key U.S. ally in East Africa, already provides refuge to nearly two million individuals fleeing regional conflicts.

(With inputs from agencies.)