Ugandan jobs taken away by illegal migrant workers

This is according to the auditor general Edward Akol, who noted that despite the government’s efforts to control woke permits, several migrant workers who remain in the country illegally have found a way to continue working.

This finding was elaborated on, in the December 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor General.

The report also highlighted the 26% increase in the number of work permits issued between 2020 to 2020, going from 11,229, to 14,185, which came with no corresponding increase in resources to monitor migrant workers.

As a result, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control performed a research to determine the cost-effectiveness of managing work permits.

The report found that, from 2020 to June 2023, 6.035, had expired however, 85% of the permit holders constituting 5,048 people failed to leave the country.

And between July 2019, to June 2023, 102 foreign nationals overstayed their permits and were met with fines.

However, their employers were not penalized despite knowing that the foreign workers’ permits had expired.

Approximately Shs306 million in fine shortfall has not been collected, as seen in the Ugandan newspaper, the Monitor.

During the evaluation period, the directorate deported 2,403 workers and regularized 1,969 others after discovering many foreigners operating private enterprises unlawfully.

“Migrant labour creates competition for few available jobs as… as a result, local businessmen have expressed their displeasure about the existence of illegal foreigners… I noted several instances… where foreign nationals did not leave the country, following the expiry of their work permits,” the report read.

“The continued stay of foreign nationals with expired permits has resulted in illegal employment of foriegn nationals and loss of revenue,” the auditor’s general report added.

The Directorate of Citizenship spokesperson, Mr. Simon Mundeyi, claims that the organization experiences enforcement lapses because of staffing shortages.

He pointed out that, of the 2000 enforcement officers needed, only 700 are available, which limits their capacity to keep an eye on and follow up with those who have expired work permits and those engaged in petty work.