How Kenya, Uganda Can End Abuse of Migrant Workers In Middle East

Uganda is set to review its bilateral labour agreements with a number of countries, particularly in the Middle East, as cases of abuse of migrant workers continue to rise. A number of Ugandan migrant workers have continued to report cases of abuse by their employers and recruitment agents.

Chief of Mission for the UN Agency on Migration in Uganda in Kampala, Sanusi Tejan Savage, told Gender Minister Betty Amongi that the continued reports of maltreatment of migrant workers, even in countries where bilateral labour agreements exist, was of concern.

According to government data, an average of 12,000 Ugandans leave for the Middle East annually in search of employment. This number has been growing since 2010. Data sourced from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, under which labour externalisation is supervised, indicates that the Middle East is becoming one of the biggest areas for job opportunities and a source of remittances into the Ugandan economy.

In Kenya, Central Organisation of Trade Union has asked the government to shut down what they termed "modern slavery". The union's Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, said: "foreign relations and employment should be discussed between governments and not agencies that have neither offices nor properly listed officials."

This criticism came shortly after the Kenyan Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui revealed that at least 93 Kenyans died while working in the Middle East in the past three years.