At least 146 Ugandan migrant workers who have been stranded in deportation centers and prisons across Saudi Arabia have returned home, the government has announced.
The Minister of State for Labour, Employment, and Industrial Relations, Esther Anyakun, told reporters in Kampala on Monday.
“I am happy to inform you that 146 Ugandans have so far been repatriated back home, the latest being 54 Ugandan girls who arrived this weekend aboard Air Arabia,” Anyakun said.
The development came after a meeting between the Ugandan government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held from October 14 to 17, 2024, during which Saudi Arabia agreed to grant pardons to Ugandan migrant workers who had been detained in its prisons for various offenses in accordance with Saudi Arabian law.
Many Ugandans are languishing in prison cells across Saudi Arabia, and central to the discussion was public pressure on the Ugandan government to request clemency for its citizens, including women with children born in the Middle Eastern country.
The pardoning of Uganda migrant workers, Anyakun said, underscores the government’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens abroad, adding that the government will continue to work with partners to ensure the safe return of all Ugandans still stranded.
However, the pardon excludes Ugandans convicted of capital offenses such as drug trafficking or murder.
They remain on death row as the government efforts to secure their release remain unsuccessful.
The minister said that securing a pardon for individuals convicted of capital crimes is extremely difficult.
Anyakun called upon Ugandan migrant workers with legal issues in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to take advantage of the pardon before the window closes.
“I would like to call upon Ugandans who find themselves in these circumstances to take advantage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pardon, which has a window of 90 days, and the amnesty by the United Arab Emirates to Ugandans currently residing in the UAE without proper documentation or facing legal issues,” she said.
“This amnesty is in effect until December 2024. We urge all Ugandans in the UAE to seize this opportunity to return home without incurring penalties, as the amnesty will end in December. To those who wish to take advantage of this amnesty, please proceed to the nearest airport and arrange your travel back to Uganda,” she added.
The minister noted that the government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding the rights of Ugandan migrant workers abroad, whether through bilateral negotiations, repatriation, or reintegration initiatives.
Anyakun said that her ministry is partnering with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to offer counselling, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the returnees.
