Netherlands, Uganda edge closer to deal on migrant return centre

Leader of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) Geert Wilders during a debate in the House of Representatives following the anti-immigration demonstration in The Hague, on September 25, 2025. [AFP]

The Netherlands and Uganda signed a letter of intent Thursday to set up a return centre in the east African country for rejected asylum seekers.

The move comes ahead of an election in October caused by the collapse of Dutch government when far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his party from the ruling coalition in a row over asylum rules.

"We need to start focusing more on what can be done, rather than on what cannot," Dutch Migration Minister David Van Weel said in a statement after meeting Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"That is why we are taking this step with Uganda to get migration under control."

The plan targets people from countries near Uganda who must leave the Netherlands but cannot be returned directly or voluntarily, the statement said.

The individuals concerned will be accommodated in Uganda temporarily at a reception location.

From there they will be expected to return to their country of origin.

"The ministers have made clear that the arrangements concerning the transit hub must comply with national, European and international law," the statement said, assuring the human rights of those affected will be "safeguarded".

The initiative drew criticism when first announced in 2024, with opposition parties calling it unrealistic.

Wilders has demanded sweeping asylum restrictions, including a freeze on applications, limits on family reunification and halting the construction of new reception centres.

In the United Kingdom, a plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was struck down after a series of court challenges.

The scheme was formally scrapped in 2024 without a single transfer taking place.