With the outbreak of COVID-19 and the closure of airports, many Ugandans have been stranded abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had started to repatriate some Ugandans at their own but halted the process.
The repatriation had been halted for 2 weeks but the Ministry has released a statement indicating that repatriation will resume on 18th July.
The exercise had been halted by the Ministry of Health to enable proper quarantining of returnees who had so far arrived in the country.
According to a statement released late Wednesday, the first group will arrive July 18 from Washington DC, US and Doha,Qatar while the second will come from Ottawa, Canada, the following day.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that the repatriation exercise of Ugandans stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic is set to resume,” the statement reads in part.
“Additional repatriation flights will be communicated in due course,” the statement says. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to reiterate the commitment of Government to the speedy return of Ugandans who were stranded abroad duo to the COVID-19 pandemic.”the statement further reads.
A total of 37 quarantine centres including high-end private hotels for self- pay, budget/ medium-end private hotels were gazette by government in Kampala and Wakiso for returnees.
By the time the repatriation exercise was halted two weeks ago, almost 800 of the 2,300 Ugandans that government reported to be stranded abroad had already been repatriated.
