Immigration

Uganda Becomes Latest African Nation To Take Trump Deportees — With Conditions

Photo via U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The Trump administration secured another international partner in its quest to establish multiple third-country destinations for migrants deported from the United States.

Uganda has agreed to a “temporary arrangement” in which it will accept foreign nationals deported from the U.S. under certain conditions, according to a Thursday announcement from the country’s foreign affairs ministry. The declaration makes Uganda the second East African nation in recent months to formally accept asylum seekers removed from the U.S., giving a boost to the White House’s deportation agenda.

“As part of the bilateral cooperation between Uganda and the United States, an Agreement for cooperation in the examination of protection requests was concluded,” said Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, permanent secretary of Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a public statement.

“The Agreement is in respect of Third Country Nationals who may not be granted asylum in the United States but are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin,” Waiswa continued.

Waiswa said that this is a “temporary arrangement” and under the condition that Uganda will only accept asylum seekers with no criminal records. The permanent secretary added that Uganda would prefer individuals from other African nations, but did not appear to make that a non-negotiable stipulation. Both countries are hashing out details on how the deal will be implemented.

A spokesperson for the Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Earlier in August, Rwandan officials confirmed that they had also agreed to take in deportees from the Trump administration. Rwanda, which shares a border with Uganda, will accept up to 250 migrants under the deal.

“Under the agreement, Rwanda has the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo continued. “Those approved will be provided with workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation support to jumpstart their lives in Rwanda, giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the last decade.”

Upon entering office, President Donald Trump pledged to embark on the largest deportation operation in American history. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has since dramatically boosted its apprehension and removal numbers from the Biden era, with tens of thousands of foreign nationals in migrant detention.

To better execute the crackdown, Trump officials have established more migrant detention centers across the country and reached key agreements with foreign governments to accept deportees. The White House reached a deal with El Salvador’s government earlier this year to send deportees to CECOT, their country’s infamous mega-prison, and have also sent deportees to South Sudan, Panama, and elsewhere.