Ministry of Gender probes soaring numbers of Ugandans committing suicide in Arab countries

Members  sitting on the parliamentary committee on gender, labour and social development have issued demands to the ministry of labour to enter into bilateral agreement with Arab countries where Ugandan workers are exported illegally.

The MPs demands are following the reports they got from the Ugandan mission at Abu Dhabi indicating that 48 Ugandan workers died in Arab countries after being subjected to inhuman treatment and their bodies were not returned.

Among the 48 dead ugandans ,35 were women and 13 men and most of them killed themselves by suicide after they became tired of mistreatment

Uganda has only   signed bilateral agreement for its labour export with Saud Arabia and Jordan among Arab countries and had promised to sign with others bilateral agreements in phases though the country exports each about 65000 workers.

Addressing a news conference at parliament on their return from middle East countries the youth member of parliament for western Uganda Mpaka Mwine and Ngora county mp David Abaala said that when Ugandans are taken to Arab countries for work their travel documents are removed from form them and when they meet death, its difficult to trace where they came from hence burying them in deserts of Arab countries.

The MPs want the ministry of gender to sign agreements with the countries where Ugandans are exported to minimize on the mistreatment they face from their employers who subject them to harsh conditions which in turn force them to committee suicide.

The MPS also demand government to investigate into reports that some immigration officers are bribed and accept some workers to exit the country illegally to Arab countries where they face difficult time with their employers.

They said that if the ministry of gender ,labour and social Development fails to sign bilateral agreements with other countries where Ugandans interested for jobs they will move a motion  banning externalization of labour .

Mps asked government to set up a recue fund that will enable uganda missions abroad have home to keep the mistreated and rehabilitate ugandans

Among the countries where the 48 Ugandans died include Dubai ,AbuDhabi,Oman ,Bahran and Kuwait  .

According to Uganda investment Authority report Uganda has 400,000 young people entering the Uganda’s job market and the country can only employ less than a half of them

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