The Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Hilary Obaloker Onek has refuted reports that the Israel government signed an agreement with Uganda to facilitate the forceful repatriation of illegal immigrants from the Middle East country.
According to Minister Onek, reports that indicated that every person deported by Israel would be given a free ticket, US $3,000 and allowed unspecified period of time to settle in Uganda, were false.
Meanwhile, Minister Onek has said the ministry will come up with policy guidelines on the management of camps that are home to refugees from across the region.
The Minister’s remarks come at a time reports indicate that senior government officials including the Commissioner of Refugees Apollo Kazungu misappropriated refugee funds and aid relief in 2017. Kazungu and three other senior staff from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) have since been suspended.
“Under these new policies, biometric machines will be introduced where registered refugees will use their finger prints to access food among other aid reliefs, we shall scrutinize refugees running huge businesses, how do you seek for asylum and there after you start selling cars,” minister Onek said at the Uganda Media Centre.
According to Mr. Onek senior police officers are leading investigations into the scam and the culprits will be prosecuted.
“There is zero tolerance to corruption, that is why the government is committed to carrying out investigations to hunt down culprits making life of refugees difficult,” Onek said, adding: “We aim at improving the wellbeing of refugees and communities.”
He also urged the international organizations supporting refugees not to abandon the noble cause.
“Otherwise we might close doors for refugees because the number is too much, they are benefiting from the limited services that were planned for Ugandans,” the Minister said.
Prior to the OPM scam, reports indicated that Uganda was hosting 1.4 million refugees mostly from South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
