The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced plans to resume the repatriation exercise of Ugandans stuck abroad weeks after the process was halted.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, repatriation will resume on July 18.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that the repatriation exercise of Ugandans stranded abroad due to Covid-19 pandemic is set to resume,” the statement reads in part.
On 3rd July government suspended the return of Ugandans who are stranded abroad as a measure to control congestion in quarantine facilities. The Ministry of Health gazetted 37 quarantine centers in Kampala and Entebbe that have a total capacity of 2,500 rooms.
Although the Ministry had planned to have a total of 300 Ugandans return every two weeks. However, in a space of one week, more than 300 people have returned and filled up the quarantine centers. So far 1000 Ugandans have returned leaving about 1500 still stranded abroad.
The ministry says halting of the process was meant to enable proper quarantining of the returnees who were already in the country.
The Ministry has scheduled to have Ugandans stranded in the USA return on 18th July from Washington DC, those from Doha, Qatar return as well on 18th while those from Canada would return on 19th from Ottawa.
Several Ugandans previously stranded in South Africa, Eswatini, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, UAE, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Sudan, Turkey and India have so far been repatriated.
See planned flights to have Ugandans repatriated:
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