Uganda renews war against human trafficking, 51 victims returned

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The Government says it has renewed efforts to dismantle transnational human trafficking networks. The development follows the return of 51 Ugandans from Myanmar.

The latest group of returnees, who arrived in May this year, had been lured with promises of well-paying jobs but ended up trapped in forced labour and cyber scam syndicates, authorities said.

Derrick Basalirwa Kigenyi, the deputy national co-ordinator for the prevention of trafficking in persons (TIP) at the internal affairs ministry, confirmed the development during a press briefing held at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala city.

This was ahead of the July 30, 2025, commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

“Just like in 2023 when we repatriated 23 Ugandans from Myanmar, we have once again received 51 of our people, rescued and brought back from exploitative conditions,” Kigenyi said.

“We appreciate the support of Interpol Uganda, our embassy in Kuala Lumpur and civil society organisations that worked together to make this possible. Unfortunately, some Ugandans are still trapped in Myanmar and Qatar,” he added.

Uganda will join the rest of the world to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, a day established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 to raise awareness of the global crisis.

According to Kigenyi, activities will begin on July 1 and run throughout the month across all regions of the country.

“We shall engage the media, use social media platforms, and hold public dialogues in different areas, especially targeting vulnerable groups like women and children, who continue to be the most affected,” he noted.

Reports from both local and international agencies have consistently shown that women and children account for the majority of human trafficking victims worldwide.

The 2025 Theme is Human Trafficking is Organised Crime – #EndTheExploitation.

This year’s theme, Kigenyi said, emphasises the structured and co-ordinated nature of human trafficking networks.

“This is not just a crime of opportunity—it’s highly organised,” he said.

“These traffickers are well-funded, they operate across borders, they infiltrate institutions, and they use elaborate recruitment tactics to lure unsuspecting victims.”

He said the theme, crafted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), calls on governments, law enforcement, civil society, and communities to respond in a similarly coordinated and strategic manner.

Uganda still in tier 2

While Uganda has made strides in combating human trafficking, Kigenyi noted that the country remains classified under Tier 2 in the global trafficking index—a ranking assigned by the U.S. Department of State in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

“We are not in the worst category anymore,” he said.

“Five years ago, we were under Tier 3, which is the lowest and comes with sanctions. Now we’re in Tier 2, and we’re pushing to get to Tier 1.”

He attributed the improvement to collaborative efforts by government agencies, international partners such as GIZ and the British Council, and civil society organisations that continue to support anti-trafficking interventions.