As part of the ongoing government efforts to repartriate hundreds of distressed migrant workers, State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Hon. Esther Davinia Anyakun, and Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, embarked on a Diaspora mapping exercise to document and expedite the repatriation process for distressed migrant workers.
The duo has successfully engaged with Saudi authorities, which has seen those recently pardoned released from detention & deportation centers and returned home.
Ambassador Walusimbi says dozens including pregnant women, have been returned home in similar fashion since November 1 when Hon. Esther Anyakun and himself arrived in Riyadh to document distressed cases. “Over 200 migrant workers have been repartriated in a sequenced manner. A plane carrying repartriated workers lands at Entebbe, on a daily since November 1.”
He adds that, they are still engaging authorities in the respective Gulf states to repartriate workers distressed, due to poor living and working conditions. “We shall carry on the exercise to UAE, Jordan, Iraq, and beyond.”
Speaking to this publication, Walusimbi stressed that the plight of Ugandan migrant workers in the Gulf calls for harnessed collaboration and coordination between stakeholders.
“The documented cases of distressed Ugandans, especially domestic workers, warrants the expedition of the repatriation and reintegration process,” Walusimbi noted as he cautioned errant individuals against trafficking unsuspecting Ugandans.
Hosting over 200,000 Ugandan migrant workers, Saudi Arabia is considered the largest destination for Ugandan labor migration.
In this sense, the Ambassador reaffirmed that over 742 distressed migrant workers will be returned from Saudi Arabia by January 2025. “His Excellency President Museveni continues to enhance the protection of migrant workers. So, President’s Office and Gender Ministry are working to enhance Uganda’s labour migration governance in Uganda and overseas. We are negotiating with the host governments and shall not leave any of our brothers and sisters in distress.”
He added that there are efforts to scout for better skilled job opportunities for Ugandan workers. “Together with Hon. Esther Anyakun, we are also exploring new and better job opportunities, for those facing contract issues and undesirable working conditions.”
I reassure our Diaspora communities that President Museveni’s government is actively enhancing stringent oversight measures to ensure safe, secure, and orderly labour externalization.
FYI:
About 1000 Ugandans are currently held in the Middle East, accussed of various crimes including theft, contract substitution and trafficking.
Of these detainees, 416 are in Saudi Arabia, 180 in Dubai, and 62 in Qatar. These are expected to be repartriated once the negotiations are fully done.
