1960s after
independence –
overthrow of Milton
Obote as president.
Some politicians fled
country as new
government took over.
– afraid of being
imprisoned or
murdered.
1972 – President Idi Amin ordered all
Ugandan Asians to leave Uganda within 3
months. 25,000 people. Many had British
passports and came to the UK. Were treated
with violence by the soldiers – robbed,
dispossessed of property, mistreated. 11,000
Ugandan Asians live in Leicester
Push factors
Flows of migrants
from an LEDC
(Uganda)
Pink Asylum seekers 2012 – Robert Segwaynyi
was an asylum seeker living in Portsmouth
whose deportation back to Uganda was deferred
in August 2011 as it was feared he may be
persecuted. In Uganda many people condemn
homosexuality both as un-African and unChristian. Homosexual acts are already illegal in
Uganda, but the bill which is before parliament
proposes tougher sentences for people convicted
from Dec 2012.
1980s & 1990s Lords Resistance
Army a terrorist group operated
in northern Uganda. Up to 2
million people displaced across
Central Africa. Some of these
refugees would have come to the
U.K. - most moved within
Uganda to Kampala. In 2000 it
was estimated that there were a
total of 639,760 IDPs in
Uganda. Those who came to
Britain may have been badly
affected by their experiences and
would need medical care and
counselling.
The UK was the colonial power
which gave Uganda
independence in 1962. The
political elite would speak
English and there was ‘moral’
obligation to house political
refugees when Milton Obete’s
government was overthrown.
UK took many of the Ugandan Asians – there
was a degree of ‘racist’ resistance from the UK
at that time. Many of the Ugandan Asians had
business acumen and forged new lives in the
UK. Leicester received 11,000. Central TV
coverdd the 40th anniversary with 5 special news
reports in 2012. Ugnada has tried to encourage
some Ugandan Asians to repatriate.
PULL factors
Flows of migrants into an
MEDC (UK from Uganda)
Robert Segwaynyi was a ‘gay’ asylum seeker
but it was assumed he was primarily an
economic migrant and the UK government
wanted to deport him. A campaign – mainly by
Christians in Portsmouth – halted the
deportation ‘temporarily’ in 2011. He was
released from detention in September 2011 as it
is recognised his case has some merit. ‘Gay’s
are liable to persecution in Uganda and are not
treated with ‘equality’.
Asylum Seekers from the LRA
would be granted ‘refugee
status’ if arriving in the UK.
Especially former child
soldiers or trafficked young
people. Some may not have
documents and would have
difficulty proving their status.
It might be assumed they
were economic migrant
unless supporting evidence
were available.