In recent times, the labour\nexternalization programme which allows migrant workers from Ugandans to work in\nthe middle East, for comparatively far better wages, has attracted backlash\nfrom a section of the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may be a result of two different\nbut interrelated factors; limited public knowledge of labour externalization\nand negative media coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, it is worth noting that labour\nexternalization is a Government programme superintended over by Ministry of\nGender, labour and social Development. Government entered into bilateral\nagreements with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and most\nrecently with United Arab Emirates(yet to be operationalized) to allow migrant workers from Uganda\nwho wish to seek employment opportunities in these two countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To protect these migrant workers, the\nGovernment through ministry of gender established a policy framework through\nThe Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan Migrant Workers Abroad) Regulations,\n2005 and, the Guidelines on recruitment and placement of Ugandan migrant\nworkers abroad, 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further the ministry instituted\nstringent mechanisms through a centralized management system that regulates\nlabour externalization processes which all the sector players including\nexternalizing companies, migrant workers, destination countries must comply\nwith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So where is the problem? First, there has to be a concession. Labour\nexternalization as a sub sector of our economy has had its challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was partly the reason that compelled Ministry of Gender between\nJanuary 2016 to April 2017 to suspend labour externalization until certain\nreforms were instituted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problems here however are two; the trafficking in persons by illicit\nprofiteers that have tarnished labour externalization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second problem is biased reporting by some individuals and also a\nsection of Uganda\u2019s media. In the case of trafficking, the number of victims is\nstaggering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, it remains a puzzle that in a country like Oman where\ngovernment has never licensed deployments, we have over 52,000 workers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are all cases of Ugandans either trafficked or leaving on their\nown since no licensed company recruits workers for that destination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vulnerability index of abuse in such destinations is so high and it\nis these cases of trafficked persons that are subjected to all forms of abuse\nbecause of the absence of a protection framework in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, in 2018 alone, Interpol recorded 27 cases of human rights abuses and\nalmost all were of persons that had gone to the Middle East through informal\narrangements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out of 27,12 were rescued,\none died while Interpol failed to trace the rest that had made distresscalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other problem that\nlabour externalization is facing is biased and sensational reporting from\nsections of the media and some individuals either with vested interests in\ntarnishing the program or out of ignorance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Labour externalisation\nprogram continues to provide countless employment opportunities to thousands of\nUgandans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many documented\nbut unpublished testimonies of thousands of lives that have benefited from this\nprogram. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Young people previously\nunemployed in Uganda, who have earned decent wages in the middle east and made\nsound investments back home that have transformed their lives and those of their\nfamilies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there has also\nbeen a few cases of abuse that all key sector players including Uganda\nAssociation of External Recruiting Agencies (UAERA), Government of Uganda and\nthe destination countries are currently trying to address. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, UAERA has established a Monitoring\nand Complaints\nhandling Office\nin Saudi Arabia to monitor and handle any cases of abuse. Government of Uganda,\nthrough the foreign affairs and labour ministries is engaging her\ncounterparts in UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain and\nother countries to institute protection mechanisms against trafficking in\npersons and also protect Ugandan workers living there by providing consular\nservices and discussing Bilateral Labour agreements with these countries..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, the value for money audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor General on the regulation of labour\nexternalization by ministry of gender, labour, and social development in 2017 made a number of actionable recommendations including setting up a\ntracking system that monitors the recording, coding, investigation and\nresolution of all complaints raised by migrant workers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n