Parliament Debates Repatriation of South African Returnees: Government Assures Safe Reintegration for Returning Ugandans. Over 1,100 Ugandans Return Home After South Africa Violence.
The government has assured Ugandans returning from South Africa that they will receive counseling, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support before reuniting with their families. The assurance was made in Parliament as lawmakers received an update on the ongoing repatriation exercise and raised concerns over the temporary accommodation of returnees.
The government says Ugandans repatriated from South Africa will receive the necessary care, counseling, and psychosocial support to help them recover and successfully reintegrate into their communities.
The repatriation exercise began following xenophobic attacks in South Africa that claimed the lives of three Ugandans and forced hundreds more to seek government assistance to return home.
Presenting a ministerial statement to Parliament, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Hon. Haruna Kasolo, said the number of returnees is expected to reach more than one thousand one hundred by the end of the exercise.
Kasolo said the government is working closely with South African authorities to ensure the situation is resolved peacefully while safeguarding the long-standing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Responding to concerns over the temporary accommodation of returnees at Kyankwanzi, Kasolo said the facility is serving as a rehabilitation and counseling center where returnees receive trauma support before reuniting with their families.
The Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Joan Acom Alobo, questioned why returnees are first taken to Kyankwanzi before their relatives are informed, urging the government to ensure families are kept updated throughout the repatriation process.
Alobo, however, commended President Yoweri Museveni and the government for facilitating the safe evacuation and return of the affected Ugandans.
During the same sitting, Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa urged Members of Parliament to exercise caution when discussing international matters, warning against dragging private companies into sensitive diplomatic issues that could undermine Uganda's national interests.
The government says the repatriation exercise will continue until every Ugandan willing to return home is safely evacuated, rehabilitated, and reunited with their families as diplomatic efforts continue to address the xenophobic violence in South Africa.
