The Netherlands is advancing plans with Uganda to create a “transit hub” for people who must leave the Netherlands but cannot be returned directly to their home countries. A Letter of Intent signed by Dutch minister David van Weel and Ugandan foreign minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar outlines a small pilot in which a limited group (primarily nationals from countries around Uganda) would be transferred to Uganda temporarily, receive assistance to return, and be encouraged to depart voluntarily from there. The government says all arrangements must comply with Dutch, EU and international law and will be worked out with organisations such as IOM and, potentially, UNHCR.
What’s actually on the table
The plan targets cases where removal has stalled for long periods because either the individual or the country of origin does not cooperate. The Dutch cabinet has invoked a security-of-supply law to ensure critical decisions about companies and logistics can be taken in emergencies; in the migration context, ministers argue a transit hub offers an extra tool to “get migration under control.” Exact numbers, timelines and costs are still to be finalised.
How supporters frame it
Minister van Weel told the Financial Times the hub could start operating as early as next year, and that the Netherlands is braced for appeals but confident the plan fits legal standards. He said UN agencies have been asked to manage operations on the ground and that certain vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQ+ individuals, would not be sent to Uganda, given the country’s laws. He also cast the hub as a deterrent: if people with negative decisions know they will be transferred, they may cooperate to return earlier.
Ugandan officials have indicated they would accept people of African origin without criminal records and would work with IOM and UNHCR, both of which have a long-standing presence in the country.
Why critics are wary
Human-rights groups and some migration experts question whether offshoring returns is compatible with EU asylum guarantees and non-refoulement, and whether people will have access to legal help. UNHCR has said it has not seen final details and any role would be limited to advising on human-rights compliance. Opponents also argue Europe should invest more in its own asylum and return systems rather than outsourcing.
The European context
Only around one in five people ordered to leave the EU are actually returned to their home country, according to Eurostat. That low “effective return” rate is driving a search for new tools, including returns via third countries. Italy’s separate deal to process some migrants in Albania has run into court challenges, underscoring the legal sensitivity of such arrangements. The Dutch plan will likely face similar scrutiny as EU institutions debate updated return rules.
What Dutch outlets are reporting
Dutch media describe the Uganda hub as a small, pilot-scale effort backed by a political push to improve returns after years of bottlenecks. Uganda’s role would be temporary transit, not permanent resettlement. NOS and DutchNews both note the government’s emphasis on human-rights safeguards and cooperation with international organisations; they also highlight the expectation of legal challenges once the pilot begins.
What to watch next
Legal design: The final agreement will need clear safeguards (screening, complaints, monitoring, and exclusions for vulnerable groups). UNHCR’s and IOM’s formal roles will be a key signal.
Pilot scope and metrics: Government will need to specify numbers, timelines, costs, and success measures (e.g., rate of voluntary returns from Uganda).
EU alignment: Any national scheme must fit within emerging EU return rules and withstand court review, as Italy’s experience shows.
The Netherlands argues a Uganda transit hub can unblock long-stalled returns while meeting legal standards. Supporters see a pragmatic fix and deterrent; critics warn of legal risks and human-rights concerns. The pilot’s precise design, and whether courts allow it to proceed, will determine if this becomes a new model or a short-lived experiment.
