EU country to deport African asylum seekers to Uganda

The Netherlands is eyeing up a deal that could see asylum seekers deported to Uganda in mere months. The country's migration and foreign affairs minister, David van Weel, said the "transit hub" could be operational as early as next year despite potential legal challenges. He told the Financial Times: [The agreement is] in compliance with international law, with European law, with our national laws.

"But of course this will be appealed in the beginning and then we'll see whether or not that holds up. We don't deny a responsibility that human rights of people that we send there need to be respected. That's clear." Mr van Weel said the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had been asked to manage the centres in Uganda.

He said the scheme would mainly be for African migrants in the Netherlands, including "a large chunk of the countries surrounding Uganda".

He explained: "At the moment we have a clear system for asylum applications, but too many people stay here [when] they have to return. We need to ensure that people that actually don't have a right to stay here in Europe ... actually leave."

If the deal is finalised, the Dutch government will send people to Uganda if it cannot return them to their home countries.

LGBT+ people are exempt due to the country's discriminatory laws that punish being gay with life in prison or death.

Mr van Weel said: "I think we have responsibility for people we send there. There's also a responsibility from the Ugandan side."

Vincent Bagiire, a permanent secretary in Uganda's foreign ministry, said he'd proposed measures that include "accepting persons without a criminal record and persons of African origin who shall not use Uganda for political activism".

Unaccompanied minors would not be accepted, he confirmed.

He added: "Uganda hosts both the IOM and UNHCR, and we shall collaborate to benefit from their expertise in matters of migration."