Opinion: Why refugees love Uganda

By David Serumaga

Uganda has a long history of hosting refugees which started way back in the early 1940s with Polish refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe.

Factors that have led to the displacement of people have since continued and Uganda has so far been the safest place refugees.

Earlier this week, hundreds of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) citizens fled their country to Uganda via Kisoro District looking for a place that can guarantee their safety.

As other countries are debating whether to accept or reject the asylum seeker, Uganda opened its doors to refugees from all corners of the world.

These asylum seekers leave their country not because they want, but due to political, religious and natural disasters that put their lives at risk.

Uganda has continued to maintain an open-door policy to refugees based on traditional African hospitality and not turning away anybody who is running for safety.

Though opposition politicians had tried to paint a bad image on the global scene about Uganda, the favourable and attractive conditions like peace and security have made Uganda to become amongst the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa with over 1.5 million refugees.

Most of them are from South Sudan, DRC, Somalia, Burundi and Afghanistan.

Uganda has created an exemplary refugee policy which is recognised by the international community, faced with the largest refugee inflow in the past years.

Uganda remains a symbol of integrity for the refugee protection regime that unfortunately is not being respected everywhere in the world.

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General has on many occasions applauded Uganda’s refugee policy which guarantees freedom of movement and right to education, health, employment and job creation.

In all refugee hosting districts, the Government of Uganda provides refugees with plots of land, seedlings to start farming and build houses. It has empowered refugees to become economically independent as they enjoy the same social services that the citizens enjoy.

Those who close borders to refugees should know that with such opportunities that Uganda offers to refugees, a number of them have become professionals like doctors, lawyers, journalists, engineers, teachers who have become resourceful to the hosting communities and to their countries once they return back.

What we are seeing in Uganda where refugees keep coming in is a sign of peace and security plus other opportunities which they can not access in other countries.

Their continuous coming contradicts other statements by opposition politicians and activities who misinform the foreign world that Uganda is not safe. Let me remind those who paint a bad image against our country that Uganda has a remarkable history of hosting refugees even though its efforts are underfunded.

Opposition politicians should be reminded that in the 1950s, almost 80,000 Sudanese, fleeing the first civil war, sought refuge in Uganda.

This was the first biggest number of refugees from different neighbouring countries to come to Uganda and since then, we have been having waves of people seeking refuge in Uganda whereby they are not confined to camps but can also live-in urban areas.

Uganda still keeps its commitment of hosting refugees due to our hospitality, spirit of Pan-Africanism and understanding what displaced people need and go through.

The author is a social and political analyst