UAE Has Not Banned Ugandans from Getting Visas- Amb Kibedi

Uganda’s ambassador to United Arab Emirates, H.E Zaake Kibedi, has dismissed reports claiming that UAE has halted visa services to Ugandans.

“I need to correct something. Ugandans have not been banned from getting visas to UAE. We should avoid following social media. What I am telling you are facts,” Ambassador Kibedi said on Tuesday while appearing on NBS TV “Morning Breeze” programme.

He added: “It is not true that UAE has halted the issuance of visit visas to Uganda. I don’t know the source of this misinformation, but it’s not true.”

According to the ambassador, the UAE visa system is just being revamped and now, it takes up to five days to get the visa and not two days like before.

He said the number of Ugandans living and working in UAE has grown in the last 10 years.

“As of today, there are approximately 100,000 Ugandans in UAE, with 95% doing skilled work. It is 5% that are having challenges.”

He also dismissed claims that the government started repatriating Ugandans stranded in Middle East after opposition National Unity Platform made an alarm.

“It is not true that the government was triggered by the NUP call to repatriate Ugandans. This is not the first time we are doing so (repatriating Ugandans),” Amb Kibedi said.

According to him, there is no repatriation that can be done successfully without the involvement of the embassy especially when there are no passports.

“Parliament should discuss how to handle the traffickers. That’s where the focus should be. We have only one deportation center in Dubai, the rest are prisons. Before I left on Sunday, all Ugandans in that centre had returned.”

He said 1,500 Ugandans were returned by government and that 95% of Ugandans living and working in the United Arab Emirates are there legally and are protected by the laws.

“This amnesty is expiring at the end of this month. Others are still hoping that they will get jobs, so they haven’t turned up to be repatriated. Liaison officers are not allowed in UAE. We have consulates. The Liaison officers were only allowed for six months during the Dubai Expo.”

According to Ambassador Kibedi, the numbers increased because several people from different nationalities travelled to UAE in anticipation that they will get jobs during the Dubai Expo 2020.

He also distanced himself from reports surrounding NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s fundraising concert.

“I was not aware of that concert (Bobi Wine’s fundraising concert) but there are procedures that have to be followed. I didn’t even know that Bobi Wine ever came to UAE; I didn’t get any communication from him,” he said.