Uganda to repatriate 750 migrant workers from Middle East
L-R: Senior presidential advisor on diaspora affairs, Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, Uganda's envoy to Saudi Arabia Isaac Ssebulime and his deputy, Sheikh Sulaiman Guggwa pose for a photo in Riyadh on November 1, 2024. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- Ugandan authorities say they hope to successfully repatriate over 750 nationals stuck in the Middle East by the end of January 2025.
- Returnees are likely to include dozens of alleged serious offenders who were recently pardoned by the Saudi government.
At least 57 Ugandans arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Monday as part of ongoing government efforts to repatriate hundreds of nationals escaping alleged abuse, exploitation and mistreatment in the Middle East, authorities said.
Monday’s arrivals aboard repatriating flights G9-152 and G9-155 were mostly female and included migrant workers from the Saudi Arabia capital, Riyadh.
Dozens, including pregnant women, had been returned home in similar fashion since November 1 when senior presidential advisor on diaspora affairs, Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, and labour state minister Esther Davinia Anyakun arrived in Riyadh to document migrant workers whose quest for jobs turned nightmare.
“Most of the returning members are distressed due to poor living and working conditions and ill-treatment,” Walusimbi told Monitor on Tuesday.
L-R: Senior presidential advisor on diaspora affairs, Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi (in navy blue cape) poses for a photo with distressed Ugandan migrant workers following an engagement meeting in Saudi Arabia in November 2024. PHOTO/HANDOUT
Uganda has a significant Gulf diaspora community with government data suggesting that 31, 372 nationals have annually departed the East African country for the Middle East in the last 9 years to May 2024. About 84 per cent of those are women.
ALSO READ: My life as a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia
Speaking from the Near East, Walusimbi highlighted that the plight of Ugandan domestic workers in the Gulf region is continuously characterized by exploitation, wage theft, contract substitution, detention, trafficking and sometimes deaths.
“Also, the group decried debt bondage and high fees incurred through phone-based digital transfers, calling upon government to intervene and engage with service providers,” he added.
Ugandan authorities say they hope to successfully repatriate over 750 nationals stuck in the Middle East by the end of January 2025. Of these, 500 will be from Saudi Arabia, 180 (Dubai), and over 60 from Qatar.
“The documented cases of distressed Ugandans, especially domestic workers, will expedite the repatriation process of the victims,” Walusimbi noted as he warned labour export firms against “misleading Ugandans.”
Hosting an estimated over 180, 000 Ugandan migrant workers, Saudi Arabia is considered the largest destination for Ugandan labor migration.
But both domestic and foreign enforcement of labor protection policies and laws remains weak, leaving many workers vulnerable.
“Government is exploring new and better job opportunities, for those facing contract issues and undesirable working conditions,” Walusimbi remarked.
“I reassure our diaspora communities that President Museveni’s government is actively enhancing stringent measures for protection of migrant workers,” he added.
FYI
About 658 Ugandans are currently held in the Middle East, accused of various crimes like theft, prostitution.
Of these detainees, 416 are in Saudi Arabia, 180 in Dubai and 62 in Qatar. They also face deportation and are expected to be repatriated to Uganda as soon as bilateral negotiations for their release are concluded with the respective country of custody.
