The ban also comes in the wake of reports on social media that Ugandans in the kingdom had been tortured and imprisoned.
In July, the government of the African nation signed a deal with Saudi Arabia that would entitle domestic workers to an eight-hour working day, a return air ticket, decent accommodation, identity cards on arrival, health insurance and a monthly minimum wage of $200, Human Rights Watch reported.
Ugandan officials state that around 500 housemaids from the country had traveled to Saudi Arabia to work. However, an immigration official at Entebbe Airport, near the capital Kampala, told Reuters that around 100 Ugandans were leaving on a daily basis to find work in Saudi Arabia, given the high unemployment rate at home.
The Ugandan authorities say the ban will remain in place until working conditions are “deemed fitting.” Indonesia, Ethiopia and the Philippines have also banned migrants from traveling to Saudi Arabia until they could be assured the workers were given basic labor rights.
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