World
Uganda's unique policy on refugees at risk, despite stable EU funding
The Eastern African country provides accommodation and a plot of land to people fleeing wars in neighbouring countries, but the gap between needs and resources is increasing.
Damaria Chimpaye’s eyes light up when her children appear in the distance.
At 41, she has given birth nine times, lost her home and husband, and does not know where three of her children are. She is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but has for almost two years been living in Uganda.
The East African country is home to 1.6 million refugees, the largest number relative to population in Africa, and the third in the world. Its 3.6 per cent ratio is more than double the European Union’s.
These refugees mainly come from neighbouring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are marred by violence. Eighty-one per cent of them are women and children, who often fled after their villages were attacked and their husbands and fathers killed.
This is the case for Damaria.
After escaping she lived two years as an internally displaced person in other Congolese villages. Another armed attack prompted her to move eastwards, with a small child in her arms and five others around her, until she reached the border with Uganda.
Now Damaria lives in the Nakivale refugee camp, one of the largest and oldest on the continent: a 185-square-kilometre area housing 185,000 people in southwestern Uganda. She misses her village, and her mother who chose to stay behind but she will never go back there.
The Ugandan exception
Uganda has one of the most unique refugee policies in Africa, and perhaps the world. It lets in virtually everyone, granting immediate protection to those from war-torn regions under a system known as prima facie.
“They are recognised as refugees at access points along the borders and then transferred to settlements such as the one in Nakivale,” Claire Birungi Agaba of the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the organisations involved in welcoming refugees, told Euronews last week during a trip to the country.
Its policy is considered very progressive, despite the country’s poor results in democracy indicators: it scores 4.55 out of 10 in the latest Democracy Index compiled by Our World in Data and only 13 out of 100 when it comes to respect of minorities, according to the last LGBT Equality Index.
To maintain this policy, the Ugandan government – which spends 40% of its annual budget repaying interest on its debt – relies on humanitarian aid from international partners, who provide material support and finance infrastructure in the country’s 14 refugee settlements.
The many humanitarian organisations – financed mainly by the EU, US and UN – replace the national authorities in providing food, education and medical care. Schools and hospitals, built in the remote rural areas where the settlements are located, are then also used by the local population.
In the settlements, the neediest receive a house, others a small sum to buy the materials needed to build it. Each refugee is entitled to a small plot of land to cultivate and to support in money and food, which, however, depends on the funds available: in 2020, 100% of the food needs were covered, the UNHCR said, this is no longer the case.
For example, people in Nakivale are divided into three categories. The most vulnerable receive 24,000 Ugandan shillings a month (€5.6), the least vulnerable 12,000, and those considered able to manage without, get nothing.
Every six months, needs are reassessed: most try to fit into the first category, for example, by presenting themselves as single parents instead of as families.
Hunger in refugee camps
As an alternative to cash support, there is food support: three kilos of rice and half a kilo of beans per person per month. But that is barely enough for a fortnight, Damaria told Euronews. The small plot of land she cultivates gives her two harvests of about 10 kilos of beans each per year.
It is impossible to feed an extended family: in addition to her six biological children, there are two others under her roof, aged 17 and 18, whom Damaria has agreed to raise as part of a voluntary fostering project in the Nakivale camp.
To put lunch and dinner together, she and her two eldest daughters work a day job in other fields. The little food the family eats is always half-cooked: the maize leaves used to make the cooking fire burn too quickly.
ADVERTISEMENTThe malnutrition rate in Nakivale is 2.6 per cent, a threshold described as ”acceptable” by Justin Okello of the Nakivale Health Centre III, the main clinic in the area.
But at times the level rises dangerously, especially among children below five. “The result is that these children are much more likely to get infections and die from these infections, which in their sufficiently nourished peers would be easily treatable, sometimes without even using medicine,” Okello added.
Growth in those who survive is nevertheless impacted. The rate of stunted growth in children is 40 per cent: that is, four out of ten children are shorter and weigh less than they should for their age, with consequences for their physical and mental development.
“The first thousand days of a child’s life are a crucial time. Anything that goes wrong during this time risks having lifelong consequences: an ill-treated child can easily become a boy who is unable to finish school and get a job”.
In Nakivale, a special programme called ‘Nutricash’ allocates 48,000 shillings per month (€11) to women who are pregnant or have children under two precisely to combat child malnutrition. But as Dr Okello explained, this money is used by the mothers to feed the whole family, thus losing its purpose.
ADVERTISEMENTBesides hunger, disease, school drop-outs and lack of prospects are the plagues that afflict minors, who account for 57% of the total number of refugees, according to national statistics.
A model at risk
The numerical growth of refugee settlements is challenging the resilience of the Ugandan model. Eight out of fourteen exceed 100,000 inhabitants. In Nakivale, for example, there are new arrivals every week.
In the last two years alone, 225,000 refugees have arrived in Uganda. The last migration crisis coincided with the civil war that broke out in Sudan in 2023 and more than a quarter of the refugees registered in 2024 came from this country.
Then there is the high birth rate in the refugee camps, which contributes to making them more and more crowded: in Nakivale 400 children are born every week.
Against a backdrop of growing needs, humanitarian aid is decreasing.
ADVERTISEMENT“In 2018, around $170 (€155) per year was spent on each refugee, today, only $85 (€77),” says Bruno Rotival, Head of Uganda at ECHO, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department.
The EU allocated €27.5 million for 2024, down slightly from €30.5 million the previous year. “All operations around the world suffer from a funding gap. More acute crises situations receive more funds, while Uganda, being a more stabilised country, perhaps suffers a little more in the provision of humanitarian aid.”
Uganda, Rotival said, was identified by the EU as a country in which to begin the transition from a system based on humanitarian aid to one based on development cooperation.
The war in Ukraine has complicated plans, with a 20% cut in the EU’s overall humanitarian budget.
“But we are confident that we will be able to maintain all our support,” Rotival added.
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The Walt Disney Company’s live action “Moana” may be the No. 1 movie at the domestic box office, but it did not make a big splash in its first weekend in theaters.
The movie, which cost a reported $250 million to produce, earned just $43 million from ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Internationally, it earned $52 million from 50 markets, adding up to a $95 million global debut.
The studio bet big on “Moana,” one of its most popular franchises. The 2016 animated film is the most watched movie on Disney+. Its sequel, which was stitched together from a planned streaming series, made over $1 billion and scored a Thanksgiving record when it opened with $225 million in 2024. “Moana 2” was also released just 19 months ago.
This latest “Moana,” directed by Thomas Kail, brings Dwayne Johnson back as the demigod Maui and introduces Catherine Lagaʻaia as the adventuring Polynesian princess. Despite praise for Lagaʻaia, the film set sail on a wave of dismal reviews from critics for being essentially a shot-for-shot remake of the original.
What audiences say about “Moana”
It’s currently sitting at a 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, the majority of whom were women (66%), were less negative: According to PostTrak, 63% said they would “definitely” recommend the film to their friends. Parent reactions were even stronger, with 78% saying they would recommend it to other parents. It also got a promising A- CinemaScore.
Disney’s live action remakes of beloved animated films, new and old, have had their share of successes and disappointments. Some have made over $1 billion, including “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Others have floundered, most notably last year’s “Snow White,” which made only $205 million worldwide. “Moana” opened more on par with “Snow White” ($42.2 million).
Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, said “Moana’s” debut could also be a product of PG-rated oversaturation in the marketplace: Universal’s “Minions & Monsters” was in second place with $20.5 million and “Toy Story 5” was close behind in third place with $18.5 million.
“Families love going to the movies, but right now there are three of them,” Dergarabedian said. “That’s a lot of competition.”
PG-rated films outgrossed others in 2024 and 2025, so “Moana’s” performance may not be a case of “family movie fatigue,” he said, but simply shows there can be a ceiling. Families have to make a choice, and after four weekends, “Toy Story 5” is still going strong with a running global total of $879.1 million.
There also are signs that these movies might not sink or swim based on the opening weekend alone. Although “Minions & Monsters” opened below expectations over the Fourth of July holiday, it also had a modest 45% drop this weekend. Its running domestic total is currently sitting at $108.3 million.
Elsewhere at the box office, horror and history
The weekend’s other big new opener was definitely not PG: The R-rated horror “Evil Dead Burn,” a Warner Bros. release, opened in fourth place with $13.7 million. It’s a significant dip from the previous two films in the series, which both opened in the $25 million range.
Angel Studios’ George Washington movie “Young Washington” rounded out the top five films in its second weekend in theaters, with $6.4 million. Olivia Wilde’s chamber dramedy “The Invite” landed in sixth place in its first weekend in wide release, with $5.7 million from 1,610 theaters.
And though it has dropped out of the top 10 domestically, “Michael” has officially crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office, only the second film this year to do so after “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” It’s also now the highest grossing musical biopic of all time, a title previously held by “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The total domestic box office for the year is currently sitting just under $5.2 billion, up about 10.7% from this point last year. While both May and June were very strong — both generating over $1 billion in North America — July, Dergarabedian said, has faced some headwinds with a string of underperformers, including “Supergirl.” Things will likely pick up next week with the arrival of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” followed by “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” the weekend after.
“They could power a stronger August than July at the box office, which would be very unusual,” Dergarabedian said.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:
1. “Moana,” $43 million.
2. “Minions & Monsters,” $20.5 million.
3. “Toy Story 5,” $18.5 million.
4. “Evil Dead Burn,” $13.7 million.
5. “Young Washington,” $6.4 million.
6. “The Invite,” $5.7 million.
7. “Obsession,” $3.8 million.
8. “Supergirl,” $3.6 million.
9. “Disclosure Day,” $3.2 million.
10. “Backrooms,” $1.5 million.
Report exposes scale of alleged UK grooming gang scandal
Fox News host Will Cain reports on a bombshell UK inquiry detailing shocking alleged child sex exploitation by organized grooming gangs in 149 local authority areas. The report reveals crimes committed for decades, with an estimated 250,000 victims nationwide.
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New German crime figures and an expanding investigation into an alleged sexual exploitation of teenage girls near the Nuremberg, Germany, central railway station are intensifying a broader European battle over migration, integration and whether officials have been too reluctant to confront patterns of organized sexual abuse.
Germany recorded 751 cases categorized as group rapes in 2025, according to the federal government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by the opposition Alternative für Deutschland party. All parties represented in the Bundestag German federal parliament may submit formal questions requiring government responses, a key tool through which opposition lawmakers scrutinize federal policy.
Police identified 1,087 suspects in the cases, including 509 German citizens and 578 non-German nationals. Syrians were the largest foreign-national group, with 110 suspects, followed by Afghans with 64, Iraqis with 46 and Turks with 44.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE
Two defendants hold folders in front of their faces while a defense attorney talks to one of them at a trial in Freiburg, Germany, July 23, 2020. (Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa via AP)
The government cautioned that “group rape” is not a separate criminal offense or standardized police category. Officials generated the figures by filtering recorded rape cases in which suspects were listed as not acting alone. The numbers represent suspects identified during police investigations, not people convicted in court.
The figures emerged as investigators in Nuremberg, Germany, pursued allegations that vulnerable girls were deliberately drawn into a network involving affection, gifts, narcotics and sexual exploitation.
Bavarian police said in May that men operating around the city’s main railway station allegedly approached girls from unstable or vulnerable backgrounds, initially offering them attention, clothing or cosmetics. Investigators said some were later given hard drugs, including crystal meth, and that their resulting dependency was allegedly exploited to obtain sexual acts or other “services.”
STEPDAD ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT AS COPS WIDEN PROBE INTO GIRL’S LETHAL BENADRYL INGREDIENT DOSE
Protesters gather before a party convention of Alternative for Germany, or AfD in Erfurt, Germany, July 4, 2026. (Ebrahim Noroozi/The Associated Press )
The investigation, known as EKO Kajal, has continued to expand. Police said Tuesday that 10 suspects were being held in pretrial detention in cases involving alleged sexual offenses against girls and young women and the distribution of drugs or medication to minors.
In the latest arrests, police alleged that a 21-year-old Syrian man raped two girls, ages 15 and 18, in a Nuremberg, Germany, apartment after they were given narcotics by a 40-year-old Syrian man. Both men were detained, but the accusations remain allegations and have not been adjudicated.
Emma Schubart, a research fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that the Nuremberg allegations bear similarities to grooming-gang cases uncovered in Britain, where girls were plied with drugs and alcohol before being repeatedly abused by groups of men.
“It’s a severe failure in both countries,” Schubart said, arguing that the problem begins with insufficient screening and continues with inadequate integration after migrants arrive.
“The first step that both authorities in the U.K. and in Germany really are not doing is screening migrants effectively,” she said. “But then, once the migrants are already here, the integration policy is completely lacking.”
Schubart said the isolation of some immigrant communities can contribute to “ghettoization” and create environments in which criminal networks operate with limited scrutiny or cooperation with authorities.
She also challenged the argument that disparities in some sexual-offense statistics can be explained primarily by poverty.
POLYGAMOUS SECT LEADER CONVICTED ON STATE CHARGES AFTER GIRLS FOUND IN UNVENTILATED TRAILER
A supporter wearing a plastic policeman’s helmet and holding fake money criticizes the way the police dealt with the grooming gang scandal on Jan. 29, 2022, in Telford, England. (Martin Pope/Getty Images)
“Socioeconomic factors matter, but they absolutely do not fully explain the disparities,” Schubart said. “Native Germans from similar socioeconomic backgrounds absolutely do not show equivalent rates in group sexual offending.”
Schubart said she viewed the apparent intersection between drugs and sexual exploitation as an especially important parallel with Britain.
“In the U.K. and in Germany, it’s a very similar pattern where it’s basically drug trafficking that also involves sex trafficking,” she said. “These drug-trafficking networks and cells operate across the country, not just in those cities where we see the crimes playing out.”
Britain has spent years reckoning with grooming scandals in places such as Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford and Oxford, England, where official reviews found that police, social workers and local authorities repeatedly missed or ignored evidence that vulnerable children were being systematically abused.
Baroness Louise Casey’s national audit, published by the British government in June 2025, concluded that inconsistent definitions, incomplete records and failures to collect ethnicity data made it impossible to establish the full national scale of group-based child sexual exploitation. It nevertheless found evidence of the disproportionate representation of Pakistani-heritage suspects in some local datasets and cases, while warning against extrapolating those findings to the entire country.
The British government later backed an independent inquiry intended to examine failures or obstruction by police, councils and other public bodies in relevant local areas.
Schubart argued that officials in both countries have sometimes avoided discussing offenders’ backgrounds out of concern that doing so could damage relations with minority communities.
“In the U.K., it’s usually the phrase ‘community relations,’” she said. “There’s a huge effort to not threaten community relations.”
Germany’s ifo Institute reported in February 2025 that its analysis of district-level police data from 2018 through 2023 found no correlation between a rising foreign population and local crime rates, including in areas receiving more refugees.
“We find no correlation between an increasing share of foreigners in a district and the local crime rate,” ifo researcher Jean-Victor Alipour said when the findings were released. “The same applies in particular to refugees.” Researchers said differences in suspect rates can be influenced by age, sex, urban concentration and other demographic factors.
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A woman poses with a sign as members of the public queue to enter a council meeting during a protest calling for justice for victims of sexual abuse and grooming gangs, outside the council offices at City Centre on Jan. 20, 2025, in Oldham, England. (Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Germany’s Syrian population also plays a significant role in sectors facing severe labor shortages.
The German Medical Association reported that 7,959 Syrian citizens were working as physicians in Germany at the end of 2025, making Syrians the country’s largest group of foreign doctors.
The competing evidence presents European governments with a difficult test: investigating organized exploitation and demographic patterns without political hesitation, while avoiding the suggestion that hundreds of suspects define millions of immigrants.
France is gearing up to host a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” ahead of this year’s 14 July celebrations, with at least 25 heads of state or government due to meet in Paris on Monday to discuss support for Ukraine.
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Created in Paris and jointly led with the United Kingdom, the coalition has now expanded to include 37 countries, meeting both in person and via video conference. Two new members, Moldova and North Macedonia, are scheduled to take part in Monday’s meeting for the first time.
Meeting at the Hôtel des Invalides, the allies will aim to “strengthen,” according to the French presidency, a renewed sense of unity and cooperation in support of Ukraine, which was reaffirmed at the recent G7 summit in Évian and at the NATO summit in Ankara, where allies committed to sending €70 billion in military aid to Kyiv in 2026.
The objective is to show that Western allies are continuing their support for Ukraine and that Moscow cannot rely on “war fatigue,” according to an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Coalition leaders will focus on air defence cooperation, including newly announced US plans for the licensed production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. They will also discuss the creation of an anti-ballistic missile system.
As for security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a hypothetical ceasefire, the French presidency says that plans to deploy a multinational force, stationed away from the front lines, are “ready”. They remain, however, “subject to change”, given that the prospect of an end to hostilities still appears distant.
Beyond the presence of troops on the ground, these guarantees would be based on “legally binding” bilateral agreements and on US involvement in monitoring a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be in Paris on both Monday and Tuesday.
Bastille Day parade
The meeting is set to take place on the eve of France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations.
The Élysée Palace has said that this year’s parade will bring together nearly 6,800 service personnel, with 15% more troops than last year and a 30% increase in the number of vehicles and aircraft taking part.
In total, nearly 500 service members representing the countries of the Coalition of the Willing are expected to lead the parade.
The French military’s aerial acrobatics team, the Patrouille de France, is also expected to take part, accompanied by two Mirage fighter jets carrying Ukrainian co-pilots trained in France. German, British, Croatian, Danish, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, and Swedish aircraft are also set to feature in the parade.
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