Covid-19: Inside story of 300 Ugandans stuck in China

At least 300 Ugandans are stuck in China’s commercial city of Guangzhou amid rising xenophobic incidents—hostility and discrimination—meted out against mainly the African population over fears of a second wave of imported coronavirus.

Guangzhou, the capital city of China’s southern Provincial State of Guangdong, according to several online sources, is home to the largest African migrant population in Asia, who are mainly engaged in trade and commerce, and majority without proper documentation.

This week, the media has been awash with reports of widespread xenophobic attacks against Africans, including Ugandans, with some claiming they have been subjected to medical tests, thrown out of residences by their landlords and others told to immediately leave the country yet they have no means.

From multiple interviews with select Ugandans in Guangzhou and Ugandan diplomats in Beijing, Sunday Monitor has, however, established that the majority are categorised as illegal immigrants, who either overstayed their visas or are without proper documentation.

Ugandan diplomats indicated that there are many Ugandans who have been “living underground” and neither registered with either the embassy in Beijing or the consulate in Guangzhou.

“They also feared going for testing because they had no papers,” the diplomat, who requested for anonymity to speak freely, said.

At the height of the coronavirus outbreak in China’s Wuhan City and Hubei Province between last December and January, the diplomat said Beijing rolled out “residual mandatory testing” for everyone regardless of their status in all “at risk areas.”

After back-and-forth discussions, around the same time, the Ugandan consulate in Guangzhou managed to secure an amnesty for all Ugandans whose documentation was not in order, or whose visas had long expired to return without any penalties.

“About only 13 people took it up and others remained behind, hoping for the best,” the diplomat added.

Two months later, as Beijing tries to fully clear out the coronavirus, officials have intensified searches and request for medical tests paperwork, which has installed fear among both the Africans living illegally and their Chinese landlords.

“The landlords, who were illegally taking rent money are liable. The understanding is that the tenant doesn’t lead police back to the house. That is why some are claiming they are being forced out of their houses, genuinely because the landlords themselves are facing jail time if caught,” he said.

China issues directive
On April 5, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Guangzhou Municipal government issued a notice directing foreign nationals to declare personal health status documents, which most Africans do not have.

The notice reads: “You need to obtain a Yuekang Code and a Suikang Code on the Mini-programme. You will need to present your Yuekang Code and Suikang Code when entering into or going out of places such as residential blocks, hotels and shopping malls.

If you have not received SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test after entering into China, you should go through throat swab based SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test and serum antibody test, both of which are free of charge. You can contact your residential community committees.”

As a result, all residents including foreigners have been required to undergo mandatory testing, which the diplomat said many Africans are wary of.

With the coronavirus now spreading widely outside China, there is now a general fear of foreigners, including Africans. But with most Africans taking to social media to highlight their plight, there is worry this has already angered Chinese authorities in Beijing, who contained the pandemic by muzzling information flow.

“And usually in such cases, African diplomats are slow in acting because they know most affected people were breaking the law,” another diplomat in Kampala, said.

While the embassy in Beijing is “taking all the necessary steps”, Sunday Monitor has learnt that there is another crisis because the most senior person, the ambassador to China, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, is in Uganda, where he as been holed up since last December.

Some Ugandans this newspaper talked to, however, said they want to be evacuated back home, citing harsh living conditions and ostensibly as a result of economic troubles.

“There are so many issues here but in a time like these, we expect our government to engage with the Chinese government to make an arrangement for us,” one Uganda said.

“How we have been living here is secondary now; the most important thing for us now is only surviving,” he added.

In Kampala, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Patrick Mugoya, told this newspaper earlier in the week that there are no arrangements for now to evacuate Ugandans abroad.

“If you remember well, the President directed the airport to be closed off; the only exception are foreign nationals here who are being evacuated, but Ugandans abroad were requested to remain where they are,” Mr Mugoya said.

The ministry is expected to make a formal statement to Parliament this coming week about the plight of Ugandans stuck abroad.

Delegates meet
The minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Sam Kutesa yesterday met with the Ambassador of China to Uganda, His Excellency Zheng Zhuqiang, on the matter regarding situation of Ugandans in China.
The minister conveyed the serious concern of the government of Uganda on the harassment and mistreatment of its nationals. He called on the government of China to urgently intervene and address the plight of Ugandans in China.
The ambassador assured the minister that China values its relationship with Uganda and other African countries.
He said the government was taking steps to address the matter and undertook to take up the concerns of the government of Uganda with the relevant authorities in China.