Letter: Bring home our people from the Middle East 

Letter: Bring home our people from the Middle East 

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Uganda, Kampala, Sept. 1, 2022: The purpospe of this letter is to ask you to join us in demanding the immediate repatriation of Ugandan citizens stranded in detention centres and prisons in the Middle East.  

We, the undersigned citizens of Uganda are saying, ‘No More Slavery! Silence Is Not An Option! Speak Out Against Modern Day Slavery!’. We demand the immediate repatriation of Ugandans from the Middle East!

All is not well with the labour externalization policy. There is a serious crisis in the Middle East workforce that is unfolding before our eyes. What is the crisis? Why have we failed to see it? Why are we quiet about what is going on?  What can we do about it? Is the media doing enough to expose this problem? Our continued silence is complicity in the crimes being perpetrated against our people.

The last five years have seen a marked  increase in demand for cheap labour from Uganda by the Middle East. The exact figures of Ugandan migrant workers in the Middle East are not known but according to the Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA), there are 358, 000 workers, remitting about USD 900 million. The government of Uganda responded to the demand for labour by enacting the labour externalization policy.

However, this policy which started in 2005 to create jobs has morphed into human trafficking. The different stakeholders in the labour market, that is, the government, Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, host governments, recruitment agencies as well as employers are not playing their roles in protecting the rights of the workers.

Firstly, the government regulatory frameworks have not been effective in controlling the labour export business, leaving many gaps which have been exploited by unserious labour export companies. For example, there is no oversight on the part of the recruitment agencies and government which exposes Ugandans to all types of abuse.

Secondly, the Kafala system which regulates labour migration in the Middle East is predatory, exploitative and evil. This system gives the employer so much power over his employee that it is often abused. 

We have a moral responsibility as citizens to speak out when crimes against humanity are being committed against our people. Where are the MPs? Where is the media? Where are the religious leaders? Where are cultural and traditional leaders? Where are the Trade Unions? Where is the civil society? Where are the professional bodies, especially the lawyers, doctors, and nurses? Where are the citizens? EVERY CITIZEN MUST SPEAK OUT; SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION! SILENCE IS COMPLICITY!

While we support the right of Ugandans to work in the Middle East, we demand the protection of their rights as well as the enhancement of their welfare. This is a matter of workers’ rights as well as human rights and that is why we call upon all citizens to get involved.

Ugandans working in the Middle East face many challenges which put their lives at risk in many respects, for example, abuse, torture and exploitation, illegal human organ extraction, racism and discrimination, sexual harassment, withholding of salaries, starvation, denial of treatment to mention, working long hours (sometimes working 21 hours without rest!) but a few. 

There are worst-case scenarios, whereby Ugandans end up in detention, prison and even death. Today, there are many Ugandans in utter distress in detention centres as well as prisons in different countries in the Middle East. The exact numbers are not known but there are, for example, about 3000 persons in Al Awir Detention Centre, Dubai, according to sources that are corroborated by Hon Nkunyingi Muwadda –Shadow Minister, Foreign Affairs, based on a visit he conducted on the 18th-08-2022. 

There are about 30 Ugandans at Al Malaz prison in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and about 15 prisoners at Kharige prison, Riyadh, Saudi.

Furthermore, there are 12 Ugandans who were recruited by Madera Recruitment Agency, Masaka and transferred to Mohammud in Dubai who in turn sold them to a human trafficker in dangerous, war-torn, Syria. They are currently living in slavery and servitude in Syria. Three of these girls have disappeared and are most likely dead according to one of the victims.

There are many other tragic cases like that of Edith Katusabe in Saudi Arabia who was recently strangled by her employer at the recruitment agency office where she had escaped to for protection.

There are many cases of Ugandans who commit suicide because of the deplorable working conditions. How long should this go on under our watch, ladies and gentlemen?

Why does this happen? The recruitment of domestic workers in Uganda and deployment in the host countries get messed up because of poor regulation in Uganda and lack of oversight as in the host countries which often results in some workers ending up in modern-day slavery or human trafficking. 

For example, Romine Naluyima was recruited by Bantu Establishment Ltd, Uganda in January 2019. She was deployed to Saudi Arabia to work under the management of Alymi Alawsat Recruitment Agency, Riyadh. She was contracted to work for Ms Jawza Ammash Hattsh Alshammari in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, after completing her 2-year contract, Jawza illegally transferred (sold) her to Aian Real Estate Company without her consent. Romine did not sign a contract but was forcefully trafficked to Ms Hanani Abdulla, much to her objection.

This is a transgression and it contravenes Article 3, Saudi Arabia labour laws which stipulate that a working relationship between the domestic worker and employer shall be governed by a written contract. Failure or refusal to comply with this regulation means one is engaging in human trafficking. 

Romine was in servitude for one year and was subjected to abuse as well as exploitation. She worked for long hours (nonstop 18-20 hours) and was sick but was denied treatment. Ms Hanani had CCTV in her house and was able to monitor Romine on her phone as she kept hounding her and backing at her whenever she stopped to stretch her back. The order was to work nonstop otherwise she would be punished. 

When Romine started demanding her salary which had accumulated over eight months, Ms Hanani had her arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges. She was imprisoned at Al Malaz Prison, Riyadh. While she was in these human trafficking conditions, the different stakeholders were contacted and engaged, for example, the recruitment agencies, the Embassy of Uganda, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development but were all non-responsive. 

The other major problem migrant workers face is human organ extraction. This happens in the Middle East countries but it is more prevalent in Saudi Arabia. There are incidents of Ugandans being tricked into signing documents or using apps which purport to give organ donor consent. There are also many cases of sudden and suspicious deaths of Ugandans being repatriated home whose organs are missing. 

There is for example the case of Judith Nakintu who was recruited by Nile Treasure Gate Agency. She was deployed to Saudi Arabia in December 2019 where she worked. It all seemed alright in the beginning. However, the employer suddenly stopped Judith from communicating with her family in Uganda. When the family started making inquiries, he said she had been involved in an accident but refused to give details about the accident. 

The family put pressure on the recruitment agency which arranged a video conference which did not reveal much. After a communication breakdown, the family demanded the repatriation of Judith. She was flown back in October 2021 but she was maimed. She was severely handicapped and could not talk. Medical examination showed that her right kidney had been illegally removed. This is just one of the many cases that have been reported but have not been fully investigated both in Uganda and the host countries.

This is a fair description of the current labour market and the challenges it presents. We the citizens must demand the protection of the rights of our children. We, accordingly, demand the immediate repatriation of all our citizens stranded abroad. We demand reform of the current labour laws as well as revisiting all the bilateral agreements with both Saudi Arabia and Jordan in particular the revisiting the labour externalization policy.

We urge urgent action on the part of the duty bearers, that is, the government, Parliament and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Failure to do so will be met by nonviolent, peaceful  mass action by the citizens.

We remain,

THE CONCERNED AND SUFFERING CITIZENS OF UGANDA.