THE immigration office in Entebbe says about 71 Ugandans are deported through Entebbe every month. Many of these are the Nkuba Kyeyos, who are doing odd jobs in developed countries. Uganda earns a lot of foreign exchange in form of remittances from Nkuba Kyeyos.

These earnings reached a record level of $1.4b (sh2.338trillion) in the 2007/08 financial year, making remittances the major source of foreign exchange.

An NGO which extends to the deportees counselling and settling-in assistance says they are usually returned penniless and desperate. Their state is suicidal. Some have been separated from their families abroad and others have no foundation to reconstruct their lives. They need all the assistance they can get.

However, when these people are deported, no Government assistance is availed to them to settle down. They are abandoned as soon as they land into problems.

Sometimes, crafty security agents threaten them with detention to solicit bribes from them. Even when they have committed crimes and the legal process has to continue, the Government should make sure it is done expeditiously.

Government must also direct foreign missions to do all they can to educate and assist all Ugandans abroad on how to avoid trouble and most especially, the options of regularising their stay there. Missions should also intervene whenever detained Ugandans complain of torture.

And when they are returned, the Government should find a way of assisting them to settle down.