Uganda agrees to take migrants under US deportation deal
The agreement with Uganda is part of a broader push by Donald Trump's administration to expand deportation arrangements beyond Latin America.
Uganda has reportedly signed a deportation agreement with the United States to accept an unspecified number of African and Asian migrants who had sought asylum at the US-Mexico border.
As part of the deal, CBS reports, Uganda agreed to take in migrants without criminal records, though officials have not disclosed how many the Yoweri Museveni-led nation will take in. Kampala has yet to comment on the reports.
The agreement with Uganda is part of a broader push by Donald Trump's administration to expand deportation arrangements beyond Latin America.
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A parallel deal was also signed with Honduras, which has agreed to take in several hundred deportees over two years, including families with children, with the possibility of admitting more.
The deals are governed by a 'safe third country' provision of US immigration law that lets asylum-seekers be sent to another country, as long as that country is considered safe and able to hear their cases.
The policy stems from Trump's election pledge to tighten immigration and accelerate the removal of undocumented migrants.
In June, the US Supreme Court cleared the administration to deport people to countries other than their homeland, limiting their ability to challenge the risks of removal.
Washington has been courting several African states to take in asylum seekers who have been turned away from the United States.
Earlier this month, Rwanda said it would accept up to 250 migrants under a separate arrangement, though Kigali insisted it would approve cases individually.
Rwanda has faced criticism from rights groups over its human rights record and the risk that resettled migrants could face onward deportation.
The US has also deported immigrants convicted of violent crimes from countries like Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Laos, Myanmar, and Yemen to war-hit South Sudan and Eswatini.
Other recent US-led agreements include deals with Panama and Costa Rica to host hundreds of African and Asian migrants, while Paraguay signed a 'safe third country' pact last week.
US officials have also approached Ecuador and Spain with similar proposals.
Rights campaigners and UN experts argue the deportations violate international law and undermine asylum protections.
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