Uganda has suspended the registration of new asylum seekers from countries not affected by war as the government grapples with dwindling aid and a continuous influx of refugees, a senior official said.
Mr Geoffrey Mugabe, the senior settlement commandant in the Department of Refugees at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), said countries currently affected by the halt include Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
‘I was asked to share updates regarding government measures in light of ongoing financial constraints, the reduction of World Food Programme rations, and the continuous influx of refugees,’ Mr Mugabe said.
‘We intend to narrow support to only vulnerable refugees. Registration from countries not in conflict, notably Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, has been closed,’ he added.
The announcement came during the launch of IsraAid Uganda’s 2025-2028 Strategy in Kampala on October 14, which aims to strengthen refugee resilience amid falling donor support.
Mr Mugabe said the closure has reduced incoming refugee numbers by 5,000.
‘We will continue monitoring these closures for countries not experiencing war, as we’ve mentioned,’ he added.
Records show Uganda suspended Eritrean asylum seeker registration on January 10, blocking legal status and support for new arrivals.
A government headcount conducted two weeks ago indicated that Uganda hosts 1,955,370 refugees and asylum seekers.
Of these, 1,914,626 are refugees, while over 40,000 are asylum seekers. Women and children constitute 78 percent of the population, with more births recorded among refugee women in Kampala during the last quarter than in the entire Wakiso District.
Since the start of 2025, an estimated 600 refugees arrive daily, and numbers are projected to reach two million this year. Uganda has long been praised for its open-door policy. Despite being the world’s second-largest refugee host after Turkey, Uganda receives significantly less funding than Kenya and Ethiopia, which host fewer refugees.
Mr Duuki Richard, the inter-agency coordination associate at UNHCR, highlighted a steady decline in donor support over recent years.
‘In 2018, aid stood at $490 million, rising to $500 million in 2019, then declining to $461 million in 2020, $370 million in 2021, $414 million in 2022, $294 million in 2023, $150 million in 2024, and $130-140 million in 2025,’ he explained.
Mr Mugabe said the government is seeking to bridge gaps through local resource mobilisation, voluntary refugee returns, promotion of regional peace, and partnerships with humanitarian agencies.
‘We are collaborating with NGOs like IsraAid to promote self-sustenance among refugees,’ he said. ‘Uganda operates a settlement system, not camps. Refugees are free to develop skills and livelihoods, and can move freely. In Kampala, two out of every 10 people you meet are likely refugees,’ he added.
Ms Delphine Tumusiime Mugisha, the country director of IsraAid Uganda, said the strategy addresses critical refugee needs, including psychosocial support, water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, and emergency response in settlements such as Palorinya, Nakivale, and Nyakabande transit centre. By 2028, the NGO aims to reach over 200,000 beneficiaries.
‘With dwindling global funding, localisation, strategic partnerships, and efficient use of resources will drive our work going forward,’ Ms Mugisha said. She added that recent cuts by the US government created a 54 percent financing gap in Uganda’s refugee programmes. Mr Patrick Okello, the commissioner for refugees at OPM, said refugees require support to enhance livelihood resilience amid funding shortages.
‘The launch of this strategy will greatly benefit refugees through capacity building and resilience-focused programmes,’ he said.
Ms Harriet Ajilong, the commissioner for guidance in the Ministry of Education and Sports, emphasised the need for psychosocial support, noting that displacement causes anxiety and depression among refugees.
Refugees in Uganda
According to UNHCR data as of October 1, 2025, Uganda’s refugee population comes mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (52.5 percent), South Sudan (32.8 percent), Sudan (4.7 percent), Eritrea (2.9 percent), Somalia (2.6 percent), Burundi (2.4 percent), Rwanda (1.3 percent), Ethiopia (0.8 percent), and other countries (0.1 percent).