The Netherlands and Uganda have agreed to establish a transit centre in Uganda to host rejected asylum seekers from the Netherlands before their repatriation to their countries of origin, Dutch ministers confirmed on October 21.

A letter of intent was signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York by David van Weel, the Netherlands’ Minister for Migration and Foreign Affairs, and Jeje Odongo, Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The arrangement is designed to provide a holding facility for failed asylum applicants — primarily from Africa’s Great Lakes and Horn regions — prior to removal.

Van Weel told the told The Financial Times that “the agreement is in compliance with international law, European law and our national laws,” but acknowledged that legal challenges are expected: “Of course this will be appealed in the beginning, and then we’ll see whether or not that holds up.”

The transit hub, expected to open in 2026 pending approval, will focus on voluntary returns where possible, though it may also be used when a rejected applicant or their country of origin refuses cooperation. The Dutch government said the measure aims to increase deportations after failed asylum claims, a key issue in the Netherlands’ November 2025 snap election campaign.

According to European Commission data, net migration to the EU rose by 2.3mn in 2024, bringing the total number of non-EU citizens in the bloc to 29mn at the start of this year. The Netherlands received 32,175 first-time asylum applications in 2024, a 16% decline year on year.

The Netherlands joins a small group of EU states testing third-country processing or return partnerships, such as Italy’s deal with Albania, which faces similar EU legal review under the Return Directive.

Human-rights groups including Amnesty International Netherlands and Defence for Children said they will challenge the Uganda agreement in court, arguing that offshore holding centres risk breaching international protection norms.

The UK’s relocation plan with Rwanda was cancelled in April 2025 after the UK Supreme Court ruled it unlawful. As bne IntelliNews reported, Kampala signed a separate one-year pilot arrangement with the United States in August 2025 to receive third-country nationals facing removal — excluding unaccompanied minors and those with criminal records.

Uganda already hosts more refugees than any other country in Africa. The UNHCR reported that by the end of 2024, it accommodated about 1.8mn refugees and asylum seekers, up 10% year on year.

The new agreement may test Uganda’s capacity and raise fresh questions about Europe’s reliance on third countries to manage migration flows.