The Government of Uganda has announced formal plans to engage diplomatic channels with the government of Eritrea following an unprecedented, steady rise in the number of Eritrean asylum seekers entering the country.
The Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Sam Engola, pledged to spearhead direct talks with Eritrean authorities to better understand the underlying factors driving thousands of its citizens to travel across continents and seek refuge within Ugandan borders.
Speaking during an extensive familiarisation meeting on Thursday with key senior staff from the Refugees Department under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Minister Engola expressed growing strategic concern over the trend. He noted that the continuous migration flow warrants a closer, data-driven look, particularly because Eritrea is widely perceived within regional diplomatic spaces to be experiencing a period of relative domestic stability.
According to official figures disclosed by the ministry, Uganda is currently hosting more than 70,000 registered refugees from Eritrea alone. This massive demographic presence has significantly shifted the landscape of urban and settlement-based refugee management across the country.
Minister Engola stated during his address to department officials that a figure of this magnitude demands full attention. He emphasized the need to deeply understand the precise circumstances, challenges, and push factors compelling these individuals to leave their home country and seek asylum elsewhere, noting that obtaining accurate, firsthand information through proper diplomatic engagement is about helping the government strengthen its long-term response rather than closing doors.
The minister also emphasized that a clearer understanding of the root causes of the migration would directly allow the OPM to refine its internal management tracking. This strategic insight will ensure that national refugee policies remain strictly informed by the prevailing structural realities on the ground, rather than projections.
The strategic briefing served as a foundational introduction for Minister Engola, who was recently appointed to head the Ministry for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees. Engola noted that the familiarisation exercise was specifically designed to provide him with a comprehensive, transparent baseline of the department’s current operational mandate, ongoing regional programmes, recent milestones, and mounting funding obstacles.
During the session, the Commissioner for the Refugees Department, Patrick Okello, alongside other high-ranking OPM officials, briefed the incoming minister on the baseline mechanics of tracking influxes. The discussions focused intensely on the compounding, heavy demands placed on basic public infrastructure and localized social services.
Uganda continues to receive high volumes of displaced people fleeing prolonged conflicts, climatic shocks, and political insecurity from various volatile pockets across the East and Horn of Africa regions. However, the unique, persistent uptick in Eritrean arrivals—who often bypass traditional border entries or navigate complex transit routes—presents a distinct administrative challenge.
Despite the rising numbers and emerging fiscal pressures, Minister Engola strongly reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining Uganda’s globally lauded, progressive open-door refugee protection policy. This framework continues to guarantee key foundational pillars for displaced persons, including the right to work with free access to local employment, land allocation for residential and subsistence use, and full social integration into public healthcare and education systems.
By actively seeking dialogue with Asmara, the OPM intends to pivot toward proactive regional cooperation. The planned diplomatic engagement is widely expected to give Ugandan policymakers the insight required to stabilize regional refugee responses, adjust local integration programs, and ensure that humanitarian aid continues to reach those who need it most.
