The joint security force of Police and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration over the weekend arrested more than 30 Asian nationals in Kampala City without working permits.

The individuals mostly of Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese origin were arrested for working in the city centre without clearance of the immigration department.

The spokesperson of the Internal Affairs ministry, Mr. Simon Peter Mundeyi confirmed the development saying most of the culprits arrested enter the country disguising as tourists yet come to run businesses in the country.

“Some of them enter the country on student visas and experts in companies or on dependents’ passes (wives and immediate family members), but you find them working in factories, supermarkets and hardware shops without work permits,” Mr. Mundeyi said.

According to him, police and immigration will screen the suspects, upon which those found guilty ill be deported adding that the operation will continue especially on the weekends, holidays, and at night.

“We carried out our operation during the weekend because they think we do not operate on such days. It was conducted within the law. Anyone who enters Uganda illegally has abused the laws of the country,” Mundeyi explained.

He, therefore, advised foreigners with expired work permits to renew them.
“For those whose work permits have expired, they have been asked to renew them but with the help of their embassies in Kampala because many of them [foreigners] now attempt to change nationality after knowing their permits have expired, which is against the law.”