Editorial
Sep 30, 2025
An agreement has been reached between the Netherlands and Uganda for the reception of asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected by Amsterdam. The cooperation formalized by the two governments would make Uganda a transit point for people from countries bordering Uganda whose asylum claims have been denied in the Netherlands. They would be temporarily housed there before returning to their country of origin.
The agreement materialized on Thursday, September 25, 2025, with a letter of intent signed on the sidelines of the UN summit by the Dutch Minister of Justice, David Van Weel, and his Ugandan counterpart, Odongo Jeje Abubakhar.
It aims to " control migration ," according to the Dutch minister. The people covered by the agreement are asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected by Amsterdam and who are required to leave the Netherlands, but who cannot be returned directly or voluntarily to their country of origin within a reasonable timeframe. They would be housed in a reception center located in Uganda .
No schedule planned
For now, there are no details on the implementation timeline for the measure, nor on the conditions for receiving refugees. A statement from the Dutch government simply states that the human rights of those concerned would be " preserved ." The initiative drew criticism when it was announced in 2024, with Dutch opposition parties calling it unrealistic, while the legality of the plan, under both international and Dutch law, remains highly uncertain.
In the United Kingdom, a similar agreement signed with Rwanda was finally abandoned in 2024 after a series of legal challenges, without any transfer of people having taken place.