Ugandans abroad want immigration law changed

Monday Atigo, the president Uganda North America Association (UNAA) addresses participants during the  Home is Best diaspora Summit 2016 at Hotel Africana on Wednesday. Photos by Abbey Ramadhan

Ugandans living abroad have asked the government to review the citizenship law to remove restrictive clauses that make traveling with their families to Uganda difficult.

Following the amendment of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control law in 2009, Uganda joined the rest of the world as one of the countries where one can simultaneously be in possession of two citizenships.

The Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act, 2009, says a citizen of Uganda of 18 years and above, who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of a country other than Uganda may retain the citizenship of Uganda.

Some of the Ugandans living abroad during the Home is Best diaspora Summit 2016 at Hotel Africana on Wednesday.

 However, Ugandans living abroad say the law contains some restrictive clauses which makes it difficult and expensive for their families to travel and live in Uganda.

Speaking at the ninth Home is Best diaspora Summit 2016, one of the Ugandans living in Sweden revealed that government requires them to pay hefty visa fees for their spouses and children to be allowed into the country.

According to the directorate of citizenship and Immigration Control, one can only be allowed a stay visa of three months and the person fined $100 (about sh360,000) for each extra day one lives in the country after the visa has expired.

Monday Atigo, the president Uganda North America Association (UNAA), said enough should be done to reward Ugandans living abroad for the contribution they make to development of the country.    As of July, remittances had hit sh3.6 trillion according to bank of Uganda.

"Ethiopia has a directorate dedicated to citizens in diaspora. Rwanda has equally made great strides, why not Uganda," he said.

Atigo also said they were frustrated by a lot of bureaucratic hurdles which discouraged them from investing in their mother country.

He asked government to increase its war on corruption which will go a long way at gaining investor confidence of its citizens abroad.