Uganda is to take in 2,000 refugees as the deal was agreed upon after a request from the US government. Refugees are welcomed who have fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the nation on Sunday.
Refugee Minister Esther Anyakun said in an interview that the first group of 5000 Afghani’s were expected to arrive on Tuesday. However, the discussion about the arrangements is still ongoing by the officials. The refugees will be tested for COVID-19 before they are sent to the isolation center by the government. The cost of the refugee center and testing will be covered by the US government.
There is a long history of Uganda welcoming refugees and it has the largest number of to-home refugees in any country in Africa. 90% of Uganda’s refugees come from the neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The refugees in Uganda live in settlements or villages alongside residents. They are sometimes provided with plots of land and are also allowed to work.
It is decided that the refugees from Afghanistan will be temporarily for three months before the U.S. government resettles them elsewhere. Albania and Kosovo also accepted the U.S. request to temporarily take in Afghan refugees.
