Rwanda and Uganda are denying any deal with Israel to host thousands of African migrants told to leave that country in the next three months or face incarceration.

Israel this week called on migrants from Sudan and Eritrea to leave "to their country or to a third country," meaning Rwanda or Uganda. Those who leave before April will receive $3,500, airfare and other incentives.

Many migrants say they fled conflict and persecution and seek refugee status. Israel calls them "infiltrators" and mostly economic migrants whose numbers threaten its Jewish character.

A Rwanda deputy foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, tells The Associated Press his country has never reached any agreement with Israel on hosting asylum seekers.

Uganda's state minister for international relations, Henry Okello Oryem, also says there is no such agreement.