Uganda Agrees to Host Some Migrants Under U.S. Deal

Uganda has agreed to temporarily host migrants rejected for asylum in the United States but unwilling to return home, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The deal comes as President Donald Trump escalates deportations, including sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.

“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions, including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” ministry permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa said in a statement, adding Uganda would prefer to receive African nationals.

The ministry said details were still being worked out. On Wednesday, another official had denied reports of a deal, citing lack of facilities.

Uganda, a U.S. ally, already hosts nearly two million refugees, mainly from neighboring South Sudan, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo.

In recent months, Washington deported immigrants to South Sudan and Eswatini, drawing criticism from NGOs. Cases include eight men held in a shipping container in Djibouti before transfer to Juba, and five others now in a Swazi high-security prison.