Govt intervenes as human trafficking cases surge in eastern Uganda

In recent months, eastern Uganda has witnessed a troubling surge in human trafficking cases, with reports indicating a sharp increase in the number of people, especially young girls, being trafficked abroad to work as casual labourers.

Due to its proximity to neighbouring Kenya, the region is now at the forefront of a crisis that has prompted the Ugandan government to take drastic action.

The State minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Ms Esther Davinia Anyakun, on Tuesday told journalists in Mbale City that eastern Uganda accounts for the majority of cases of human trafficking being recorded.

“Of the more than 250 returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, close to 50 percent appear to be from eastern Uganda,” she said.

She added: “The return of Ugandans benefiting from the pardon by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to those who had been stranded in deportation centres and prisons across the kingdom has exposed the growing problem of human trafficking,”Ms Anyakun said.

She explained that following a ministerial and technical visit to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in October, many Ugandans have since been repatriated, with the latest batch of 27 Ugandans returning last week.

Ms Anyakun said the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has now launched a campaign on safe migration.

“The government recognised the risks associated with individuals being placed abroad by traffickers and understood that people cannot be forcibly stopped from seeking to work abroad but must use the legally licensed recruitment agencies to avoid landing into problems,” she said.

Ms Anyakun added: “We are aware of the high wages in the Middle East as compared to Uganda, with the minimum wage for a domestic worker in the Middle East being about Shs900,000. This is, of course, tempting to our people given the unemployment problem in many of the developing countries.”

The regulations

Under the Employment [recruitment of Ugandan migrant worker] Regulation 2021, workers may travel abroad for work through three channels; among licenced recruitment companies, under this channel, the company sources the jobs from abroad, and recruits and places workers abroad.

The minister said many unlicenced external labour exporting agencies are looming across the country illegally recruiting vulnerable young girls with high expectations to earn big salaries.

“We have on several occasions warned those seeking to work abroad to use registered companies but instead people use agencies illegally recruiting these girls to be exported as migrant workers to the Middle East,” Ms Anyakun said.

In response to the alarming trend, the Ugandan government said it is re-evaluating its existing safety measures, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversees anti-human trafficking efforts, strengthening border security.

The government has also vowed to crack down on recruitment agencies accused of exploiting vulnerable populations.

“We are tightening enforcement and will not tolerate illegal recruitment practices. We have learned from the past, and we must take stronger, more decisive action to protect our citizens, particularly young girls,” Ms Anyakun said.

Mr George Onyait, the Pallisa District senior labour officer, reported dozens of cases of illegal labour recruitment, and deceptive promises of better jobs abroad, especially in the Middle East.

“Families in rural communities have fallen prey to traffickers posing as recruiters, promising employment opportunities in foreign countries, only for their loved ones to be forced into exploitative conditions upon arrival,” he said on Tuesday.

Explanation.

‘‘...people cannot be forcibly stopped from seeking to work abroad but must use the legally licensed recruitment agencies to avoid landing into problems. We are aware of the high wages in Middle East as compared to Uganda, with the minimum wage for a domestic worker in the Middle East being about Shs900,000. This is, of course, tempting to our people given the unemployment problem in many of the developing countries