• Netherlands, Uganda sign migration deal for rejected asylum seekers
• Transit center planned for non-returnable migrants from East Africa
• Part of wider trend of outsourcing migration controls to Africa

The Netherlands and Uganda signed a Letter of Intent on Thursday, September 25, 2025, in New York, aimed at strengthening cooperation on irregular migration. Concluded on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the preliminary agreement outlines the temporary housing in Uganda of migrants from neighboring East African countries who have been denied entry to the Netherlands and cannot be forcibly repatriated directly to their home countries.

The specific details of the partnership will be finalized in the coming months, but a program for repatriation assistance will be offered again, according to the Dutch government website. A pilot phase will be launched, involving the creation of a "transit hub" for a limited number of undocumented foreign nationals, including rejected asylum seekers.

"We need to start focusing more on what can be done, rather than on what cannot. That is why we are taking this step with Uganda to get migration under control. Obviously the human rights of people who return to their country of origin via Uganda will be safeguarded," assured David van Weel, the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration.

This agreement is part of a broader trend where several European nations, as well as the United States, are seeking to externalize migration management by entering into partnerships with African countries. Other nations like Rwanda, Ghana, and Eswatini are involved in similar agreements. While the official objective is to facilitate the repatriation of rejected migrants, these initiatives have drawn criticism regarding the respect for fundamental human rights and the issue of shared international responsibility.

Last August, Uganda concluded a similar agreement with the United States to host third-country nationals who were denied asylum in the U.S. According to the United Nations, Uganda is currently the largest refugee-hosting destination on the African continent.

Ingrid Haffiny