Uganda has evacuated 273 of its citizens from South Africa following escalating anti-illegal immigration protests and xenophobic violence, with authorities planning additional charter flights to bring home hundreds more seeking voluntary repatriation.
The first batch of evacuees arrived at Entebbe International Airport in the early hours of Friday aboard a special Uganda Airlines charter flight, marking the commencement of the government’s large-scale evacuation exercise.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Haruna Kasolo, alongside Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Amoru, received the returnees at the airport after accompanying them on the flight.
Kasolo praised Uganda’s diplomatic mission in South Africa and other government agencies for successfully coordinating the operation, describing it as a significant intervention to protect citizens caught up in the unrest.
The evacuation followed a directive from President Yoweri Museveni, who ordered the government to fully finance the voluntary repatriation of Ugandans wishing to return home.
The exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Works and Transport, and Uganda’s High Commission in South Africa.
Government officials disclosed that more than 800 Ugandan nationals have so far registered for the evacuation programme, although earlier estimates suggested that about 1,200 citizens had requested assistance. Authorities confirmed that additional charter flights have already been scheduled to continue the operation.
Several returnees recounted losing businesses and property during the violence, while others said they were separated from family members as insecurity spread across parts of South Africa.
High Commissioner Amoru said more Ugandan nationals were already boarding evacuation flights and would continue arriving in the country over the coming days.
The repatriation programme was initiated after anti-illegal immigration protests intensified across parts of South Africa, raising fears among migrant communities and prompting several African countries to organise voluntary evacuations for their citizens.
Uganda joins Ghana and Nigeria in facilitating the return of nationals affected by the unrest.
South African security authorities say more than 25,000 foreign nationals have departed the country since the protests escalated. Ugandan officials also noted that many evacuees required emergency travel certificates because their passports had either expired or were unavailable.
The Ugandan government said the evacuation exercise would continue until every citizen wishing to return home has been safely repatriated.
