Gov’t retrieves 2,000 passports from labor export firms

Summary:

• The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uganda has successfully retrieved over 2,000 passports from labor export companies that unlawfully held them, addressing irregularities in the sector and emphasizing the importance of prompt passport collection to avoid potential disposal.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uganda has successfully reclaimed more than 2,000 passports from labor export companies that unlawfully held them when facing challenges due to strict government regulations on labor export. An investigation conducted last year revealed that these companies were wrongfully withholding over 20,000 passports belonging to job seekers.

Simon Mundeyi, the spokesperson for Internal Affairs, stated that around 1,500 passports were seized from labor export companies that initially processed them for sending workers abroad. When these companies failed to facilitate the journey, they unlawfully retained the passports. Some individuals struggled to recover their passports, prompting the ministry to step in and retrieve them through alternative means.

Mundeyi explained that, in some instances, companies directly returned passports to affected individuals when their businesses collapsed. This recovery initiative is part of the government’s strategy to address irregularities in the labor export sector.

Every year, approximately 80,000 young Ugandans, primarily women, seek job opportunities in Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia due to high unemployment rates in Uganda.

The ministry also revealed that they are currently holding over 1,000 passports intercepted from victims of human trafficking. Some passports were abandoned at the airport during the COVID-19 pandemic, with individuals leaving them behind for contact tracing and treatment purposes upon returning home. Additionally, 80 passports sent by the Chinese Embassy were abandoned, raising concerns about the failure to collect processed visas.

The ministry stressed the importance of promptly collecting these passports. If the passports remain unclaimed despite repeated reminders, the government may consider disposing of them following established procedures. Individuals are urged to retrieve their passports from the Internal Affairs headquarters to avoid potential disposal.