By Ambassador Henry Mayega
After the advent of the Yoweri Museveni administration in 1986, Uganda ceased being a gross refugee exporting country and became a net refugee receiving country; that switch has been lauded by the international community as a robust progression of emigre crisis management—a unique example to the world.
The country currently hosts over one million and seven hundred thousand refugees, second to none in Africa.
Uganda’s refugee policy permits emigres equal access to basic social services such as health, education, land, security, freedom of movement, as well as economic opportunities, amongst others. Relatedly, the 2006 Refugees Act codified asylum rights for refugees. The act and policy/regulations plus the restoration of peace in Uganda by the Yoweri Museveni administration in 1986 have collectively made Uganda a net recipient of refugees because one cannot give what they don’t have; ideally refugees run away from insecurities to secure environments, which is what our country offers.
Besides, the policy that has attracted global accolades also emphasises self-reliance, entailing working, freedom of mobility, as well as cultivation within settlements.
And so when the administration implores funding partners to honour their pledges in order to ease the lives of the displaced people, a point is being strongly made; of recent there are a couple of European countries that have sought to repatriate refugees to Africa at a price.
The UK most recently wanted to relocate hundreds of refugees to Rwanda, and Hungary is seeking to do the same in Chad. In other words, those esteemed partners have a two-dimensional dilemma, namely: either to support refugees from Africa on African soil or circumstances will unleash them into the streets of Europe, which is already a burgeoning problem. The internally displaced (like Bagisu nationality, who are severally displaced by landslides in the Elgon area) constitute an obligation to the government, though, and Uganda’s ministry of disaster preparedness has been equal to the job.
First, the Yoweri Museveni administration has created an apt and congruous environment that has permitted the hosting of asylum seekers from many countries, namely: the DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Eritrea, Burundi, Sudan, and from as far flung as Afghanistan, where tens sought refuge after the US hurriedly withdrew its security forces. In August 2021, Uganda agreed to temporarily host 2000 Afghan refugees during the Taliban takeover of their country.
Secondly, Uganda’s welcoming spirit extended to those emigres resonates well with President Yoweri Museveni’s call for panafricanism, which typifies the dictum of finding African solutions to African problems. In the past, African refugees would supply far-flung places like Europe with both free expertise (when professionals fled political turmoil) and cheap labour from non-professionals. By the world acknowledging Uganda’s robust refugee policy, that in essence is a salutation of our warmheartedness and xenial attitude towards the displaced.
Thirdly, refugees arguably flee from unstable environments; the political turmoil that obtains in several countries of the Great Lakes region has bred a continuous flow of refugees to Uganda’s peaceful haven. Relatedly, some countries do not easily admit such emigres because of extreme nationalistic and xenophobic ruminations. Uganda has proved to be totally different from others by openly embracing a wide range of refugees.
Fourth, in order to stem the refugee crisis that is incessantly straining Africa’s resources as well as the ever-dwindling donor funding, countries must stabilise their political and economic environments. That way, it’s surmised the refugee crisis will lessen by leaps and bounds since the helter skelter exodus would be nipped in the bud.
Assertively, Uganda’s proaction of creating a viable and sustainable peaceful political terrain plus the resettlement of refugees should be replicated elsewhere because it annuls the insecurity that would otherwise emanate from staying outside their national borders. In the case of Rwanda, the refugees who were for long not allowed to return home finally fought their way back home. Huge refugee populations are potentially a big source of insecurity.
Ambassador Henry Mayega
