In a significant policy reversal, the Ugandan government has announced it will no longer grant refugee status to new arrivals from Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Authorities attribute the decision to severe international funding shortfalls, arguing that the nations in question are not currently experiencing active warfare.
The Minister for Refugees stated the directive is a direct response to a drastic reduction in financial support. He noted that while annual funding from the UN refugee agency once approached $240 million, it has now fallen below $100 million, with only a fraction received this year. The minister emphasized that the economic burden of hosting nearly two million refugees—the largest such population in Africa—is now unsustainable for the country.
This move represents a stark departure from Uganda’s longstanding reputation for progressive refugee policies, which have historically included rights to work and access public services. The shift has sparked immediate concern among humanitarian groups, who warn it will create a crisis of legal limbo for thousands.
Individuals from these three nations have often fled conditions beyond open conflict, including forced conscription, political persecution, and climate-induced disasters. Advocates argue that denying them formal status leaves them with no safe options: unable to return home, ineligible for resettlement elsewhere, and without legal integration in Uganda.
The funding crisis is linked to broader cuts in international aid. Analysts point to reduced contributions from major donor nations as a key factor straining Uganda’s refugee response plan, which remains critically underfunded. Earlier this year, food ration cuts for refugees in the country highlighted the growing resource gap.
Humanitarian organizations have condemned the decision as a dangerous step backward, warning it could force vulnerable people into displacement camps or back toward conflict zones. They describe it as part of a wider global trend of restricting asylum access. The policy change places Uganda at a crossroads, potentially undoing years of advancement in refugee protection and leaving countless lives in jeopardy.