South Sudanese refugees continue to sneak in and out of Uganda

Lamwo, Uganda| AFP |  THE INDEPENDENT | South Sudanese refugees have continued to sneak into Uganda, and secretly settling at Palabek Refugee Settlement Camp in Lamwo district, despite a ban on cross border movement during the current countrywide lockdown. 

This disclosure was made by the Palabek settlement refugee welfare council (RWC) III official, Robert Ocan saying they are overwhelmed with reports from within the refuge community about relatives and neighbors who illegally sneak into the camp.   

Ocan says that despite restrictions on movement and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health in the wake of deadly Coronavirus, a section of refugees have continued to sneak back home in South Sudan and later back into Uganda. 

According to Ocan, last week alone, close to six refugees reportedly sneaked into Palabek refugee settlement where some have been traced and taken for quarantine while others have swiftly escaped back in a bid to elude being taken to quarantine.   

Ocan says most of those traced and are currently undergoing institutional quarantine at Lokung Quarantine Centre are mainly refugees who were outside of the settlement when nationwide lockdown came into force, but due to biting hunger, they are tempted to travel amidst the lockdown. Luo audio 

The Lamwo Acting District Health Officer, Dr. Denis Ocula says majority of persons undergoing quarantine are mainly asylum seekers who were reported by their colleagues to the authority after having made illegal incursions into Uganda. 

According to Dr. Ocula says majority of them have attested of having traveled back home in South Sudan to embark on productive activity and always return to collect their monthly food relief rations. 

The Lamwo Resident District Commissioner James Nabinson Kidega says the continuous exit and infiltration of refugees into the country through secret border points without being screened for COVID-19 puts Ugandan citizens at higher risk of corona virus infection.

Kidega says proactive measures have already been put in place through enhancement of security surveillance and deployments to stop the illegal entries and exits at both the border points and at Palabek Refugee Settlement.

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