Ugandans living in the diaspora have historically been vocal critics of government and governance as a whole in Uganda. With the increased number of labor export companies, the multitude of Ugandans in the diaspora has grown tenfold in the last couple of decades. These have amplified the voice against the sitting regime, criticizing every single aspect.
The Covid-19 pandemic that has swept across the globe has however offered an equalizer to this lot. With host governments being overwhelmed by the pandemic, little attention has been given to the foreiners in terms of medical and financial support.
This has left them crying out for their governments to come to their aid. Home countries have however put in place restrictions on travel and thus many of the people cannot travel back and hence left to the mercy of host countries.
In areas like China, illegal workers have been evicted from houses and hotels. In UAE, workers have been denied work opportunities due to the economic slow down and thus making it harder to survive.
The same people who have abused and made all sorts of accusations against their countries now badly need their aid. They have been harshly reminded on the importance of being humble. The countries in which they had sought refuge can not be substituted for their home countries.
To make matters worse, many have engaged in harmful and misuse of communication channels while fanning flames of hatred through inciting audios and comments on blog posts. Many cannot return to their home countries without facing prosecution and are therefore caught between a rock and a hard place.
This should stand as a chance to learn and change, for no man is an island. The government will do everything possible to help it’s people stuck abroad but repatriation can only happen after measures have been instituted to ensure safe reintegration.