Deported domestic workers stranded
The Ministry of Health says all deported migrant workers being held at the Entebbe International Airport for failure to pay for the mandatory COVID-19 tests are entitled to free testing .
Since Wednesday ,43 deported migrants from Saudi Arabia are stuck at the Airport over failure to pay for the mandatory COVID-19 tests. The deportees landed around 1pm aboard Ethiopian Airlines.
The group comprising mostly women and girls say they decided to cut short their two year contracts under different circumstances including mistreatment by employers, non-payment, sickness as some of the reasons they could have failed to complete their contracts of two years in Saudi Arabia.
“We arrived at 1 pm on Wednesday but am to now I am still stuck at the Airport ,am very hungry but they are still keeping us here as if we are dogs.Where we came from they refused to pay some of us and we also cannot locate our relatives of friends because we have no phones ,one of the girls who preferred anonymity stated.
Deported domestic workers stranded
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, Ministry of Health Spokesperson says all the deportees will be tested at no cost as long as they present proper documentation .
However some of the deportees claim their passports were confiscated ,therefore they cannot proceed to get tested.
“We arrived not knowing paying for testing is a requirement because at Saudi Arabia we were all tested prior to our departure and have also been vaccinated for Covid 19.Most of us don’t have our passports .They made us test and later refused to give anyone who hasn’t paid their results ,we have been leaving under harsh conditions in that Arab Country”
Mandatory COVID-19 testing for all arriving passengers except for children under six years started last week.The testing fees were slashed to 30 US Dollars or it’s equivalent of shillings 105,000 when the government took over.
Courtesy Photo
