Foreign Affairs Ministry clears air on video of Ugandans stuck in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has spoken out on circumstances surrounding a video recorded by Ugandans stuck in Saudi Arabia.

In a video circulated on social media, a group of Ugandan girls taken by Platinum Recruitment Company based in Mengo said they had got stuck at the embassy in Saudi Arabia without any help.

“We ask anyone watching this video to assist us. We have no help,” one of the girls was heard saying in the video.

However, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the video was recorded on a Friday when the embassy in Saudi Arabia was closed.

“Whereas the embassy is committed to helping Ugandans in the diaspora, it should be noted that some of the women recorded in the videos visited the embassy on Friday June 26,2020  when the mission was closed. Friday is a weekend and non-working day in Saudi Arabia,” the statement said.

In the video, it was reported that the girls were sleeping under a tree as the only means of shelter available for them.

The Foreign Affairs ministry explained that the embassy in Saudi Arabia has a shelter which it uses to accommodate stranded Ugandans, adding that its capacity is stretched as a result of a backlog of cases arising from the suspension of international flights due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The same is true of the facilities being provided by the Saudi Arabian government. It is therefore increasingly difficult to handle new cases.  All the cases presented at the embassy including the women in the video have been dealt with together with other stakeholders.”

“Therefore, there are no Ugandans waiting or stranded outside the embassy in Saudi Arabia.”

The development comes at a time when government has started repatriating Ugandans stranded abroad over the current Coronavirus pandemic.

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