For years now, Ugandans have travelled to foreign countries especially in the Middle East for employment as domestic or general workers.According to data from the ministry of gender, labour and social development, a total of 269,452 migrant workers left the country between 2016 and 2023 for jobs in eleven countries which are Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Somalia, Kuwait, Jordan, Poland and Romania.
Of the 269,452, the female migrant workers account for 225,693 while the males are 43,759.
Saudi Arabia employs the largest number of Ugandan migrant workers, with most of them going there to work as house maids. Others are employed as security guards, stewards, drivers, cleaners, waiters and waitresses, among other roles.
Despite its security challenges, Somalia receives migrant workers from Uganda. A total of three thousand, two hundred and fifty four migrant workers went to Somalia in the past eight years. Majority of them are security guards. Others are armed guards, carpenters, camp workers, technicians and administrators.Now, government is planning to expand the labour market by signing favourable bilateral labour agreements with more countries so more Ugandans can be employed in those jurisdictions. These countries are Oman, Somalia, Lebanon, Turkey, United Kingdom and Canada.
Lawrence Egulu, the commissioner in charge of employment services at the ministry of gender, labour and social development told this publication that the minister of gender, labour and social development Betty Amongi last week signed a Bilateral Labour Agreement between Uganda and Qatar to facilitate safe Labour migration.
“ it has some very good provisions. They are looking for skilled workers more than these domestic workers who are semi-skilled or unskilled. We are looking at drivers, security, teachers, plumbers, architects etc. So in terms of job categories it is beginning to look like the kind of people we produce in Uganda because Uganda is not only a country of maids.” He said.
According to Egulu, minister Amongi could also head to the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Germany and Poland in the coming days to explore more lucrative opportunities for Ugandan labour force that could come with better salaries and improved working conditions.
Government estimates that Ugandan migrant workers across the globe remit up to 1.5 billion United States dollars, which is about five and half trillion shillings. Those working in the middle east countries alone contribute at least seven hundred million dollars, which is about two and half trillion shillings per year.
Cases of mistreatment of Ugandan migrant workers have been reported over the years. Deaths have also occurred. Lawrence Egulu says these cases have reduced especially after government operationalized the External Employment Management System to monitor all Ugandans migrant workers abroad.
The ministry of Gender recorded some eight hundred and sixty eight complaints from Ugandan migrant workers abroad in 2023. Eight hundred and six cases were concluded while sixty two cases are pending. Forty one deaths were registered in the same year.
The causes of these deaths include car accidents, cardiac arrest, drowning, natural death, suicide, fire outbreak, anaemia among others. The cause of the deaths of twenty Ugandan migrant workers in 2023 remain unknown. Thirty seven people were repatriated and buried while three others are pending repatriation. One Ugandan migrant worker was authorized to be buried in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“ We may receive may be up to twenty complains per month of all kinds including runaways. The cases have definitely gone down. They are not as outrageous as they used to sound.” He says.
Government is also planning to develop a mobile app which is aimed at helping the Ugandan workers abroad to report challenges they come across.
It will now be mandatory for migrant workers to have smart phones and this app installed in their phones.
“So in the event of any distress, it is a press of a button and then everybody is alerted from the ministry of labour abroad, foreign recruiters ,police, the embassy and then us here (Government of uganda) . so the moment there is a red flag then we know what is the problem.”