The Cabinet wants to send failed African asylum seekers to Uganda

The government is investigating whether asylum seekers could be received in Uganda. Minister Klever for Foreign Trade and Development Aid said during a working visit to that country that it is up to her colleague Faber van Asiel to develop the idea. The Ugandans are not unhappy about the plan.

Recently, there have been more requests in Europe to work on so-called return hubs. These are places outside the European Union where rejected asylum seekers must be received. From there they have to return to their country of origin.

The Netherlands has focused on Uganda, a country in eastern Africa that already receives many refugees. The plan still needs to be developed, but the essence is that African asylum seekers who have been rejected for asylum in the Netherlands must be deported and live in Uganda. The country then receives compensation for this.

This will include rejected asylum seekers from countries in the region, as well as from Uganda itself. We need to negotiate how many countries are under ‘the category’. Because there is no agreement with Uganda yet.

See below how many people who rejected all legal remedies (every country near Uganda) were registered as ‘disappeared’ in the Netherlands this year. However, that does not mean that they have actually returned to their country of origin:

“Ultimately, we want to reduce migration. It is important to the cabinet that those who have taken all legal remedies are returned to their country of origin. And that’s where things are sometimes getting involved,” said Minister Klever. “We have a long relationship with Uganda and it is a welcoming country. And asylum minister Faber will further investigate the possibilities.”

Klever does not want to elaborate further on the plan and refers to the asylum minister Faber. Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo said after a meeting with Klever that he was open to talks.

What people think about this in the Netherlands remains to be seen. All four coalition parties have expressed positive views about the return hubs. And the previous writing saw the House of Representatives something in an attempt to receive asylum seekers, who were still in the process, in Rwanda. Now it would apply to asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies.

Recently, other European countries have also been working on plans to transfer migrants to other countries. For example, Germany wants to send Afghans to Uzbekistan. The neighboring country of Afghanistan would then receive development aid in return. Germany has also promised to admit more Uzbek migrant workers.

Minister Faber recently said that he is also interested in an agreement with Uzbekistan on the admission of rejected Afghan asylum seekers.

Italy has built two reception centers in Albania, which are just put to use. The country wants to receive migrants there who have little chance of obtaining a residence permit. And in Britain there has been talk for years about the intention to move migrants to Rwanda (the neighboring country of Uganda), but the new Labor government has given short shrift. with that plan.