Uganda: 20 foreigners held for lack of work permits

Some 23 Asian immigrants have been arrested in an operation by the Directorate of Immigrations for lack of working permits. The immigrants, including Chinese, Indians and Pakistan nationals were picked up in a two-hour operation in Kampala Central Business District on Thursday.

The victims were found working in different places without official documents. The operation comes a few months after members of Kampala City Traders Association petitioned the Ministry of Internal Affairs to act on foreign nationals involved in petty trade. Mr Jacob Siminyu, the spokesperson of the Directorate of Immigration and Citizenship Control, said the suspects were being held at the Directorate’s headquarters on Jinja road.

Deceitful tactics

He added that some of the immigrants were found working even when their status read something else, while others were found in places where they were not supposed to be working. Mr Siminyu said the operation that started from Kampala, Bushenyi and Ibanda, and would extend to other up-country stations. “We are not going to release anybody who does not have the right facility. We either take them to court or those who deserve to be deported immediately will be deported immediately,” he said.

Mr Siminyu advises Ugandan nationals to desist from obstructing Immigration staff while arresting illegal immigrants, saying they risk arrest.

Last year the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control carried out sensitisation workshops with various group of foreign nationals to convince them to regularise their stay.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/20-foreigners-held-for-lack-of-work-permits/-/688334/1875830/-/mpv0dg/-/index.html