Uganda denies the existence of an agreement with Israel to accept asylum-seekers coerced to leave Israel

The Ugandan newspaper New Vision published yesterday (Tuesday, April 28) an in-depth article on the alleged agreement under which Uganda has agreed to accept asylum-seekers transferred from Israel. The report quotes the Ugandan Foreign Minister, the Ugandan Ministry of Interior spokeswoman, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Refugees’ Commissioner at the Ugandan Prime Minister’s Office who all vehemently deny the existence of an agreement with Israel. The Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that if such transfers were made, they were done illegally.

“The categorical denial of the Ugandan government is alarming and illustrates the disparity between Israel’s assurances and the reality on the ground,” stated the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. “The testimonies we’ve collected indicate that many asylum-seekers who were sent to Uganda discovered that despite what Israel promised them, they have no legal status in Uganda, cannot rent an apartment, work or file an asylum claim. The latest report proves once again that Israel is indifferent when it comes to the lives of asylum-seekers, forcing them into dangerous journeys without any guarantees to their safety.”