UNHCR CONCERNED OVER EXPLOITATION OF STAFF AND REFUGEES BY BUSINESS OPERATORS
By Morish Dramadri
Arua city
The leadership of United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in West Nile has expressed concern over the exploitation of their staff and refugees by the business people in West Nile especially the land lords who charge them to pay rent in dollars.
With over 950,000 refugees living in West Nile, more than 24,000 of them are living as urban refugees in Arua city presenting a business opportunity to the landlords within the city.
James Malee the head of reporting and external relations at UNHCR grieved that the charging of their staff and refugees in dollars is illegal.
“Landlords are doing disservice to the UN family, on top of overcharging some even request you to pay in dollars, they say you pay one year in dollars, in fact this is illegal, the businessmen also they are overcharging a commodity of 8,000 shillings they charge at 25,000 shillings if it is UN, it is a bit unfair,” Malee lamented.
Meanwhile Atiku Abdullatiff the local council one chairperson of Oli B cell in central division Arua city blamed the urban refugees for non-compliance to the rental obligations.
“Those refugees who tend to be urban refugees they will tell you their people are working in South Sudan, but if you investigate, let us speak the truth,” Atiku exclaimed.
But Ayimani Musa Rasul the former secretary Arua city development Forum attributed this unresolved exploitation of the urban refugees on the mobile operation of the refugee representatives on the forum.
“The refugee representative members, they come on the board of the city development forum but when they get juicy jobs or when they feel they should go back to Congo, to South Sudan, to Somalia, that has been a challenge to us, this is the mantle we have to take on,” Ayimani confirmed.
According to the Landlords and Tenants Act of Uganda 2022, Landlords shall not discriminate on grounds of sex, race, color, ethnic origin, tribe or religion and shall charge in Ugandan currency unless an agreement is reached.
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