Uganda Denies U.S. Deportation Deal Allegations

A senior Ugandan official negated on Wednesday a U.S. media report suggesting that Uganda had consented to receive people deported from the United States, citing insufficient facilities for their accommodation.

CBS News, referencing internal U.S. government documents, reported that agreements with Uganda and Honduras were in place to facilitate increased migrant expulsions by the U.S. administration. However, Ugandan State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem, communicated via text message to Reuters, denying any such agreement exists. "We do not have the facilities and infrastructure to accommodate such illegal immigrants in Uganda," he stated.

The CBS report explained that the alleged agreements enable rerouting asylum seekers to third countries deemed capable of fairly processing their claims. Uganda, an ally to the United States in East Africa, is home to nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from neighboring countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan. Meanwhile, Honduras did not immediately comment on the report.

(With inputs from agencies.)