Facing bleak future, Ugandan returnees vow participation in nation building  

Hundreds of Ugandan returnees from the Middle East were officially welcomed home on Tuesday by top government diplomats seeking to lift their spirits after they were deported from Turkey.

Ugandan diplomats say over 500 returnees were deported from Turkey in about four months while an estimated over 400 remain jailed in the Middle East nation following a crackdown by Turkish authorities targeting foreigners without proper documentation or illegal migrants.  

Conservative estimates show most of the returnees and detainees travelled to Turkey to work, and others as asylum seekers, but recent changes in the Turkish immigration policies led to the crackdown, authorities in both countries hinted.

But on Wednesday, senior presidential advisor on diaspora affairs Abbey Walusimbi told Monitor that “the alarming situation came amid the increasing number of deportations of Ugandans from Turkey and other countries like Egypt.”

“We are disturbed by the fact that more than 400 Ugandans are in detention centres in Turkey because they refused to return to the country due to fear for a bleak picture or future,” Walusimbi said.

“Now, government is moving to help them by for instance establishing an industrial park exclusively dedicated to the diaspora community. This strategic move aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among returnees in sectors such as textiles, information technology and aquaculture,” the diplomat disclosed.

Senior presidential advisor on industries Amelia Kyambadde signaled that leveraging the skills and investments of returning citizens, positions Uganda at the forefront of harnessing diaspora resources for national development, aligning with global trends.

In agreement, chairman of the Turkish returnees, Yasin Kayondo, said: “Our experiences abroad are not just personal growth but valuable contributions that can ignite a wave of innovation and prosperity in Uganda for generations to come.”

Kayondo and his fellow returnees who were bound by solidarity after they were forced out of the Turkish capital Istanbul and other major cities Ankara, Ismail and Antalya vowed to embrace government development programs.

More than 2 dozen representatives of Ugandan returnees attended Tuesday’s meeting in Kampala, a gathering ambassador Walusimbi says sets a fundamental precedent for diaspora engagement in national development.

“As the country looks to its diaspora to boost its development agenda, this collaborative approach could serve as a model for other nations trying to capitalize on the skills and investments of their citizens abroad,” he explained.

Turkish law

Overstaying in Turkey is regulated under Turkish Passport law 5682 with far-reaching legal repercussions including immediate deportation, paying a penalty fee, and a five-year ban from entering into the country.

The charges are levied on culprits if they break the 90-in-180 rule, where one exceeds the time issued on their passport or when they forgot to renew their residence permit before its time was up.

Those on education, work, and investment are the only ones allowed to extend their stay while visitors and tourists are not allowed to extend their stay in Turkey beyond 90 days.

On April 17, Walusimbi maintained that “Uganda and Turkey have long-term good ties” as he appeared to suggest that “there’s no break in relations in the wake of recent alarming deportations.”