Uganda has received the first group of its citizens evacuated from South Africa following a recent wave of anti-immigrant violence that has prompted growing concern across the region.
A chartered flight carrying 273 Ugandan nationals, including 18 minors, landed at Entebbe International Airport at around 2:00 a.m. local time on Friday, marking the start of the government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
The evacuation follows an announcement by President Yoweri Museveni, who last week directed the government to facilitate the voluntary return of Ugandans wishing to leave South Africa after reports of escalating threats and attacks targeting foreign nationals.
The returnees were accompanied by Uganda’s Ambassador to South Africa, Paul Amuru, and received at the airport by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo and other government officials.
Ugandan authorities said the repatriation programme was launched in response to growing insecurity faced by Ugandan migrants, following calls by anti-immigration groups in South Africa demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country.
The tensions have intensified in recent weeks amid widespread protests over illegal immigration, with foreign communities reporting threats, intimidation, and isolated incidents of violence.
According to Ugandan officials, approximately 50,000 Ugandans live in South Africa, many of whom work in trade, hospitality, construction, and other sectors of the economy.
The latest developments come after reports that a Ugandan national was killed in KwaZulu-Natal, while additional attacks were reported in parts of the Eastern Cape, heightening fears among migrant communities.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned attacks targeting foreign nationals and said security agencies have been instructed to identify and prosecute those responsible. South African authorities have also maintained that law enforcement operations are aimed at addressing illegal immigration and criminal activity, while emphasizing that violence and vigilantism will not be tolerated.
Ugandan officials say the repatriation programme is voluntary and remains available to citizens who wish to return home as the government continues to monitor the security situation in South Africa.
The recent unrest has renewed concerns over xenophobia in South Africa, which has experienced periodic outbreaks of anti-immigrant violence over the past two decades, often linked to economic hardship, unemployment, and competition for jobs and public services.
