Tag-Uganda Suspends Labour Export Relations With Saudi Arabia
Amidst increasing cases of abuse against Ugandans, government on 23rd December 2022, announced a temporary suspension of labor export to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This comes after the expiry of the earlier agreement between Uganda and Saudi Arabia signed in 2017 and the two countries are set to meet virtually tomorrow on 28th December 2022 to forge a way forward as to whether to renew or end their bilateral relations.
There are over 200,000 Ugandans working in Saudi Arabia alone and 5% of these are suffering according to government a situation which has forced government to take this radicle decision.
Speaking to the Executive Director of voices for labor, a civil society organization Robinah Kagoye, she stresses the need for government to improve on the existing laws protecting the rights of laborer’s working abroad.
Kagoye further says that Uganda has a limited employment atmosphere and this decision will lead to un employment of many workers.
Foreign workers have been raped, exploited, under- or unpaid, physically abused, and locked in their places of employment and according to the international organization of Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes these conditions as "near-slavery" and attributes them to "deeply rooted gender, religious and racial discrimination.
