Canada has allowed Ugandans who are bound for deportation to reapply to stay, citing rising human rights violations in Uganda.
The Canadian government issued the relief on the deportation of Ugandans on Friday on grounds that there are serious human rights violations in Uganda.
‘Due to the evolving security and political situation in Uganda, including recent concerns about serious human rights violations, some Ugandan nationals and former residents of Uganda may face increased risks if required to return to the country. As a result, the Government of Canada is temporarily exempting some people from the usual waiting period to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA),’ a statement by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated.
A foreigner in Canada whose application for asylum has been rejected has to wait for 12 months to apply for a PRRA.
A PRRA is an assessment to determine whether someone would face risks such as persecution, torture or serious harm if removed from Canada.
But the Canadian government has lifted the time limit for Ugandans who fled Uganda to Canada between June 20, 2025, and June 19, 2026, to apply for the PRRA given human rights concerns in Uganda.
Between June last year and May this year, Uganda held General Elections which many election observers and human rights groups said were marred with state-inspired violence against opposition figures and their supporters.
The 2026 General Elections observers report by the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) shows reports of intimidation, arrests and abductions by the security forces.
‘Reports of intimidation, arrests and abductions of opposition leaders, candidates, supporters, media and civil society actors by the security forces instilled fear and eroded public trust in the electoral process,’ the report released on January 17, 2026, read.
The three institutions found the security agencies were operating outside the law and their mandate during the General Elections, and recommended that they abide by the laws.
According to the opposition, persecution has continued since the General Elections with several opposition figures arrested or abducted, including the former Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Mr Lukwago, who is currently on remand, told his lawyers that he was tortured during incarceration at a non-gazetted facility.
Several Ugandans fled to Canada and other countries during the General Elections.
The Canadian government would look into the claims of such people on a case-by-case basis.
‘These changes are the result of the current political and social conditions, and are unrelated to immigration measures aimed at stopping the Ebola outbreak. Ugandan nationals and former residents of Uganda may now be eligible to apply for a PRRA if, between June 20, 2025, and June 19, 2026, they received a final negative decision on an asylum (refugee) claim from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada; a previous PRRA application or a Federal Court decision related to their case, the statement reads.
The Canadian government’s statement paints a bad human rights record of Uganda, which might affect its tourism sector.
On October 23, 2018, Mr Museveni wrote to all security agencies and warned them to refrain from violations of rights that would damage Uganda’s image abroad.
‘The fundamental starting point is the NRA principle of being an army of the people, the masses (the farmers, the factory workers, the patriotic public servants and the Ugandans that are struggling to get a foothold in the emerging money economy) but also serving well the law-abiding foreigners that visit our country,’ Mr Museveni wrote. ‘Each of these is like our father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter or grandchild if they are Ugandans. If they are not Ugandans, then they are our honoured guests – amafura. These must never be beaten, pushed or be barked at for any reason.’