50 held foreigners could be deported

By Mary Karugaba

Over 50 foreigners were Tuesdayrounded up by Ugandan immigration authorities and face deportation after they were suspected of illegally staying in the country.

By Tuesday evening, the directorate of Citizenship and Immigration in Kampala was still verifying their immigration documents.

According to the commissioner of immigration and legal services, Josephine Ekwang, those found to be living in the country illegally will be fined and deported within one week.

Most of the suspects are Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis. Their arrest files showed that most of them had forged passports or work permits.

Others had no valid passports, while others lacked other immigration documents.

Some of the Chinese entered the country under the pretext of investors, but were arrested in town while selling plastic cups.

“This is abuse of facilities. You are given a work permit to operate as an investor, but instead operate a shop,” said Rodovick Kamugisha, the head investigation and inspection.

Ugandans have often complained of the foreigners who have flooded the country, engaged in many businesses and out-competed them since they do not pay taxes.

Ekwang said 166 foreigners had been deported during this financial year ending. Most of them were of Indian origin.

She attributed the problem to porous borders and warned that those found to be living in the country illegally would be arrested and fined $30 dollars per day.

“Management wants to assure everybody that genuine visitors and investors will be allowed to stay. If any member has information about illegal immigrants, they should bring it to us,” she said.