SIHMA

Researching Human Migration across Africa

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20 Jan

Uganda’s refugee-friendly policies: Uganda’s progressive approach to refugee self-reliance

Uganda is globally recognised as one of the most progressive refugee hosting nations. Uganda is home to more than 1.9 million refugees and asylum seekers  (UNHCR, 2025), and its refugee policy stands out in a global context where many states maintain restrictive asylum systems. Unlike many host countries, Uganda grants refugees the right to work, move freely, and access public services, embedding self-reliance at the core of its national framework.

 

Uganda’s refugee response is built on the Settlement Transformation Agenda (STA) and the comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Together, they work on the idea that refugees should not be confined to camps but integrated into communities with opportunities to sustain themselves. Refugees are not forced to remain in one place but live in a village style settlement where they are allocated land to cultivate and have access to the national health care and education services. This approach is also reinforced by the Refugee Act of 2006 and its 2010 Regulations, which guarantee refugees right on par with nationals. The Ugandan refugee model has six pillars: Land management, sustainable livelihoods, governance, peaceful coexistence, environmental protection and community infrastructure.  By adding refugee inclusion into the National Development Plan II (NDPII), Uganda has shifted from humanitarian care to a development orientated approach, which ensures that refugees contribute and benefit from the national systems (UNHCR, 2018 - 2020).

The comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) further strengthens the refugee model by promoting resilience and responsibility sharing. Refugees are included in sectoral plans such as the Education Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities (ERP) and the Health Sector Integrated Response Plan, which normalises service delivery for both refugees and Ugandans. In terms of education and livelihoods, Uganda has developed the education response plan for refugees and host communities (ERP) and the health sector Integrated Response Plan, ensuring refugees are mainstreamed into national service delivery. Refugees can attend schools, receive healthcare and engage in economic activities alongside Ugandan citizens. The government also allocates land for cultivation, supporting agricultural livelihoods, while private sectors provide opportunities in energy, trade and services (Global compact refugees, 2018 - 2020).

 

A world bank report (World bank group, 2019 ) highlights Uganda’s settlement approach as a model for self-reliance, noting that land allocation and service inclusion are rare in the region. Similarly, a Brookings Institute Study (2019) has emphasized that Uganda’s CRRF implementation has massively influenced global refugee policy debates, though it warns that sustainability depends on continued international support. The government of Uganda’s Solidarity Summit also underscored the need for equal responsibility sharing, calling on donor stats to provide financial and resettlement support to sustain this progressive model (UNHCR, 2017).

 

References

Global compact refugees. (2018 - 2020). Uganda national action plan to empliment the global compact on refugees and its comprehensive refugee response framework. Retrieved from Global compact refugees: https://globalcompactrefugees.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/Uganda%20National%20Action%20Plan%20for%20GCR%20implementation%20%282019%20revision%29.pdf

UNHCR. (2017, June 22-23 ). Kampala Declaration on Refugees - Operational Data Portal. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/64531

UNHCR. (2018 - 2020). Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework: the uganda model. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://globalcompactrefugees.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/Case%20study-%20comprehensive%20refugee%20response%20model%20in%20Uganda%282018%29.pdf

UNHCR. (2025, Dec 31 ). Country - Uganda - Operational Data Portal - UNHCR. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/uga

World bank group. (2019 , October 1). Uganda: Supporting Refugees and Host Communities to Become Secure and Self-Reliant. Retrieved from World bank group: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/uganda/publication/uganda-supporting-refugees-and-host-communities-to-become-secure-and-self-reliant

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