A government order announced by internal affairs spokesman that migrant workers proceeding abroad must first provide medical examination results confirming that they still have their vital body organs before being allowed to leave the country is meeting stiff resistance by the labour externalization companies.
The Internal Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi was quoted by local media last week saying that the ministry would enforce the directive to test body organs following alarming complaints that Ugandans working abroad as maids and security guards were being exploited by employers to the extent of removing their internal organs.
The labour exporters say they the ministry on May 27th directed that all migrant workers get confirmation that they had functioning internal organs with tests done at a specific Hospital in Kampala. All labour exporting firms were invited to the inauguration of the organ checking centre on June 6th. But the Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA) say they cannot associate with an illegality as ordered by the very ministry responsible for fighting illegalities.
Interestingly, the Gender/Labour ministry which is responsible for migrant workers welfare is also strongly opposed by the reported order by the Internal Affairs ministry.
Some 28 Ugandans mysteriously died in the Middle East last year to the Uganda Human Rights report shared with Parliament died in the Arab world in 2021.
The push by the labour exporters and the victims of human trafficking themselves to take as many Ugandan youths out to work as possible arises from the lack of meaningful employment in the country. This persists ironically as several valuable mineral deposits discoveries, which would spur industrial development are being announced in the in the country.
