Recruitment companies reportedly abandon 43 Ugandan workers in Saudi Arabia
Summary
Date Reported: 5 Feb 2021
Location: Saudi Arabia
Other
Not Reported ( Recruitment agencies ) - RecruiterAffected
Total individuals affected: 43
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 43 - Uganda - Sector unknown , Gender not reported )Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Restricted mobility , Freedom of MovementResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: The workers had taken refuge at the Ugandan Embassy but were forced to leave when the Embassy shut. The case was brought to parliament by a MP and the Speaker asked the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social development to brief parliament on the situation. When the local recruitment companies in Uganda contacted the companies in Saudi Arabia, the Ugandans were asked to sign new contracts in Arabic only. The companies were ordered to ensure the workers were repatriated.
Source type: News outlet
"Parliament demands answers on stranded Ugandan workers in Saudi Arabia
The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has asked the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development to brief Parliament on the plight of stranded migrant workers in Saudi Arabia...
43 Ugandans were stuck in Saudi Arabia with no means of returning home and yet the recruiting companies had turned a deaf ear to their plight.
Kibalya noted that the Ugandans had sought refuge at Uganda’s Embassy in Riyadh but had to leave after the mission was shut due to limited resources...
when the local recruitment companies in Uganda were asked by the ministry to get in touch with their sister agencies abroad the stranded Ugandans were asked to sign new contracts which were however presented in Arabic.
The companies refused to offer contracts in English Kibalya disclosed.