LABOUR EXPORT: Girls to be restrained from leaving Entebbe Airport if they cannot explain what job they are going to do in UAE
Archbishop Odama stressed that majority of the young girls and boys targeted for trans-national human trafficking are vulnerable and always seeking for employment opportunities in other countries.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development will discuss a paper in cabinet intended to put in place a robust monitoring system at Entebbe Airport to prevent female Ugandans from flying to the Middle East and cannot account for the said work and employment terms.
The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi said the system will mostly target girls travelling to the Middle East using either a visitor’s visa or tourist visa. Girls between 21 years to 40 years of age will be denied passing through the airport in case they can’t account for any jobs they are going to do abroad.
The minister made the revelations while representing Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja at the National Prayer on Human Trafficking which took place at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds also known as Kololo Airstrip. Most Rev John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu presided over the prayer meeting.
The minister said that the regulation concerning the robust monitoring system at Entebbe airport will be implemented by the immigration office, however, she said that some people are saying that government cannot restrict a girl of over 18 years to travel is she has consented.
According to the minister, authorities at the airport have intercepted several groups of girls traveling out of Uganda; however, they end up getting lawyers to ask court to stop the government from restricting them from going to the Middle East. She noted that court injunctions have always been used against the government as they try to stop the majority of these girls from going to the UAE.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Odama stressed that majority of the young girls and boys targeted for trans-national human trafficking are vulnerable and always seeking for employment opportunities in other countries.
While addressing journalists yesterday at Uganda Media Centre, minister Amongi stressed that the government of United Arab Emirates has provided a humanitarian offer of free tickets to all Ugandans who are stranded in the region, allowing them to come back home.
