By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
A total of twenty Ugandan migrant workers who have been languishing in jail in Saudi Arabia and later pardoned by the Saudi Arabia’s government have returned to Uganda bringing the total number of returned migrant workers to eighty.
The returnees arrived last night, Monday, 4th November, 2024 at Entebbe International Airport and were received by officials from civil society organizations that fight human trafficking in the country.
They were returned following a recent meeting held in Saudi Arabia between Uganda’s State Minister for Gender, Labor and Social Development, Hon. Esther Anyakun and officials of Saudi’s government who pardoned them after they were jailed for committing various offences.
The Executive Director for Remain United against Human Trafficking, Lawrence Nabimba, appreciated the Ugandan government for helping Ugandan migrant workers return home and also implored the government to help other Ugandans who are still trapped in European countries like Canada and USA among other countries to return home.
“We thank ambassador Abbey Walusimbi and Hon. Esther Anyakun who liaised with us in the process of returning our fellow Ugandans who were stuck in Saudi Arabia. However, there are other Ugandans still stranded abroad, especially in Europe. This is the third batch of returned migrant workers, in the first batch we had 40, and in second batch, we returned 20 bringing the total number to 80 migrant workers, ‘Nabimba revealed.
The Director for the Federation of All Uganda’s Migrants Association (FAUMA), Kenneth Olooka, commended the government of Uganda for reaching out to his office to help in documenting the list of the returnees. He however appealed to government to put in place a community integration program to integrate the returnees into the community.
“Many of the returnees are traumatized while others worked but were not paid their salaries. We believe the government will fight for them to get justice as far as their payments are concerned. Through community integration initiative, many will be skilled so that they become productive in their respective communities, “Mr. Olooka stated.
The spokeswoman for Uganda Association for Recruitment Agency (UARA), Easter Nabaju, appealed to Ugandan migrant workers to get in touch with their Labor attachees in the Middle East. She revealed that sometimes bringing back returnees requires diplomatic relations especially for those in jails and also out of contract.
“We thank Hon. Anyakun for helping to repatriate the returnees. In most cases these migrant workers are mistreated while on duty abroad, ‘Mrs. Nabaju noted.
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