A total of 28 Ugandans stranded in Brazil, have today, 18th July 2020, departed the Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil on a repatriation flight bound for Entebbe via Addis Ababa.
The group consists mainly of a 26-member Watoto Choir in addition to a mother and baby.
Whereas Uganda does not have an Embassy in South America, the region is overseen by Uganda’s Embassy in Washington, DC.
The stranded passengers responded to the Embassy’s call for registration in May 2020 and plans for their repatriation and route options were put in place by Satguru Travel Solutions.
The passengers will arrive at Entebbe Airport aboard the Ethiopian Airlines repatriation flight, transiting in Addis Ababa from Ontario, Canada tomorrow, 19th July 2020.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week announced plans to resume the repatriation exercise of Ugandans stuck abroad weeks after the process was halted.
“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 said halting of the process was meant to enable proper quarantining of the returnees who were already in the country.
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