SOROTI– The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social development [MGLSD] has cautioned the general public, especially the youth seeking employment abroad to beware of fraudulent unauthorised labour recruiting companies whose operations are questionable.
The warning was issued by Lawrence Egulu, the Gender ministry Commissioner of Employment Services, during a regional stakeholder’s workshop on safe and productive labour migration.
The regional stakeholder’s workshop held in Soroti City attracted organised by the ministry officials from International Labour Organisation [ILO], district chief administrative officers, district police commanders and resident district commissioners.
Others included representatives of labour recruiting companies, district LCV chairpersons, district senior labour Officers, district community development officers and probation and social welfare officers from the 10 districts that form Teso Sub-region.
The workshop was aimed at enhancing the knowledge of relevant stakeholders on the established national labour migration recruitment processes and regulatory framework, strengthening the capacity of district leaders and labour administrators to deliver information and assistance to prospective migrant workers and promote safe labour migration.
In his remarks, Gender ministry’s Lawrence Egulu expressed concern over the youth who go abroad for employment through fraudulent labour recruiting agencies.
“People should contact labour recruiting companies authorised by the government to recruit people for jobs abroad and enquire thoroughly before making any payments,” he said.
Imran Muluga, the Bukedea Resident District Commissioner [RDC] asked the Gender ministry to regulate fees charged by licensed labour recruiting companies.
He claimed that some of them are charging a lot of money between Shs500, 000 and Shs 1 million, which he says is too much for the poor youth.
Muluga also asked the ministry to avail the office of the RDCs with a list of companies licensed by government to recruit people abroad for jobs as a way of weeding out fake ones. This website understands the list can be accessed on the ministry’s website.
Meanwhile, Agnes Igoye, the deputy coordinator anti-human trafficking department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, called on Ugandans to report to relevant authorities individuals or agencies involved in trafficking people to foreign countries.
Adding that, “Unscrupulous labour exporting companies are continuing to take advantage of young girls who are in a vulnerable economic state. They are ignorantly accepting to go abroad, without knowing what they are going to face, including sexual exploitation, torture, removal of their organs and sometimes murders.”
Igoye asked Ugandans planning to leave for green pastures abroad to do due diligence on the legitimacy and legality of the labour exporting companies to avoid falling into the trap of human traffickers.
However, Jessica Angida from ILO asked governments to address the challenge of poverty and unemployment.
She described employment and poverty as key factors driving Ugandans, especially the youth to go abroad in search of jobs to earn a living.
Figures from the Gender ministry indicate that in 2021 alone, 84,879 Ugandans were externalized, with the majority going to Saudi Arabia [75,873], Qatar [3,991], and UAE [3,368]. Others went to Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Somalia and Poland.
The ILO official said close to 25 million people across the globe are trafficked every year.
Globally, there are about 169 million migrant workers, 20 percent being women.
https://thecooperator.news/lango-youth-leaders-ask-govt-to-create-more-jobs/
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