The government of Uganda has finally admitted that the country will receive 500 people deported from Israel. The revelation has been made the State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness Muss Ecweru at Uganda Media Centre today.
Ecweru says, “Uganda accepted the 500 refugees from people from Israel and this is not a problem to Uganda. We already have millions of refugees in Uganda from Somalia, Ethiopia so the few from Israel won’t be a problem to Uganda as a third party country.”
The minister adds that, “In view of the above the State of Israel working with other refugees’ managing organisations has requested Uganda to allow about 500 Eritreans and Sudanese refugees to relocate to Uganda. The Government & Ministry are positively considering the request.”
Ecweru insists that the refugees are not yet on Ugandan soil and the country is only considering their application to be resettled in Uganda.
Ecweru says Uganda is obliged to consider their application because, “Circumstances in countries like Eritrea and Israel etc force their governments to send refugees to foreign countries. A boy was brought to me and he gave a testimony why he asked to leave his country and come to Uganda. I was surprised but Uganda is a home away from home.”
Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo adds, “Some refugees come to Uganda in search for their families. The reason some of these refugees come is because there’s a general perception that they have kin that will welcome them warmly.”
Ugandan government statistics indicate that Uganda is already host to 30,000 Eritrean refugees.
The governments of Uganda and Israel have on several occasions denied accusations that Israel plans to deport illegal immigrants to East Africa. Uganda and Rwanda have been named as preferred destinations of these deportees.
