Kampala: Ugandan migrant workers who sought greener pastures abroad are now living in severe distress due to labour externalisation pressures. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Vincent Bagiire, highlighted that these pressures have significantly increased consular distress cases, repatriation, and welfare demands, particularly in the Gulf region.
According to African Press Organization, Hon. Bagiire stated that communications about Ugandans in distress are received weekly from Saudi Arabia. Some of these individuals are imprisoned, while others suffer from physical and mental illnesses, necessitating urgent attention. Bagiire, who appeared before the Committee on Foreign Affairs along with his technical staff on Monday, 03 August 2026, urged for an intensified sensitisation campaign to combat the rise in human trafficking cases. This appeal followed concerns raised by the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Representative, Hon. Robert Ssewagudde, who called for ministerial interventions to protect Ugandan migrant workers from victimisation and distress.
Bagiire acknowledged that while some efforts have been made to raise awareness, they remain inadequate. He emphasized that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for implementing the anti-human trafficking law and must undertake extensive sensitisation to prevent Ugandans from falling prey to seemingly lucrative opportunities that are, in reality, human trafficking.
In Uganda, the labour externalisation process, which brings in about US$2 billion in remittances, is regulated by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. This ministry is tasked with licensing labour export companies. Despite this regulatory framework, Bagiire noted that it is the Foreign Affairs Ministry that bears the burden of repatriating Ugandans who face harsh and exploitative working conditions and are victims of human trafficking.
Bagiire also mentioned that some Ugandans have been arrested in Iraq, and although the authorities there are willing to release them, the challenge lies in the lack of resources to facilitate their return. He pointed out that there is no financial allocation for repatriation, further complicating the situation for Ugandans in distress abroad.