Regarding entry and exit controls, the following information was provided by an official at the High Commission for Uganda in Ottawa:

Uganda maintains an Exit Control List, composed of names of persons who are forbidden to leave Uganda due to outstanding warrants or for other reasons. ... the Ugandan government maintains an Entry Control List of names of persons who are forbidden to enter Uganda or who are to be arrested upon entry. No security and/or background checks are conducted against persons who desire to leave or enter Uganda, unless in specific cases if necessary. (14 June 2000)

The following reports regarding false and/or stolen passports are from the Ugandan newspaper The Monitor.

On 4 July 1999 five Ugandans were arrested in Kenya and returned to Uganda after they were caught trying to travel to the United Kingdom from Kenya on stolen passports, in which the original photographs had been replaced (6 July 1999). Although the article did not specifically state that the stolen passports were Ugandan, the following information was provided in the article:

The five have been identified as Joyce Nakibuuka, 41, who was travelling on P/P B122301 which was issued to Evelyn Hope Mpagi on May 30, 1991. Nakibuuka had plucked out some leaflets and replaced them with those of passports A020471 and B189731 both whose rightful owners have not yet been identified.

Kiwanuka Francis, 19, was travelling on P/PB189335 belonging to Ntege Lubwama Freddy. He claimed he was an S.5 student at Makerere High School. He had also torn out some leaflets and replaced them with those of passports B195736 whose owner was yet to be established. Another one, Nakidde Joyce who was holding P/P No. BI86832 issued on November 19, 1998 in Kampala couldn't tell her age nor where she comes from. She said she could only speak Luganda and claimed that all her relatives were dead.

Nantongo Suzan, 23, was trying to use P/P number B178906 belonging to Kizza Justine Miriam and issued on July 29, 1998. She claimed she was a student at St. Balikuddembe, Mitala Maria but had left school two years back.

The fifth, Jane Kizito, 29 was using P/P Number A006001 belonging to Harriet Lubowa and issued on May 30, 1991 in Kampala.

They all claimed to have bought the passports from one Odongo at a cost of Shs 400,000 each.

They said Odongo promised to meet them in Nairobi where he would help them fly to the UK. They however didn't find Odongo at JKIA as he had promised.

The five are suspected to have got the passports from a big racket involved in stealing passports with American and UK visas.

The passports are photo changed and circulated within many African countries especially, Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia. (ibid.)

On 30 July 1999 police and municipal officials raided the premises of Fex Enterprises and M/S Aga on Nasser Road in Kampala, where false passports, banknotes and drivers' licences were being manufactured (2 Aug. 1999). Twenty suspects were arrested, and another five were being sought (ibid.).

On 7 September 1999 a false-passport racket was exposed when police arrested a Nigerian woman as she tried to collect a Ugandan passport on the basis of false documentation (12 Sept. 1999). Immigration officers said they became suspicious when the noticed that she had been recommended for a passport by Ugandan politician and businessman Sam Engola, who, they said, had a history of recommending for passports persons who were not legally entitled to them (ibid.). They added that Engola recommended about 200 people a year (ibid.). The arrest on the same day of another Nigerian woman in connection with passport forgery led police to the home in Mengo of one Milly Mulindwa, where ten Nigerians were found (ibid.). Mulindwa, who was not found, was allegedly selling Ugandan passports to foreigners for US$5,000 each (ibid.).

On 21 September 1999 police in Kampala raided an address where a gang dealing in false documents was allegedly based, arresting more than ten people and recovering several passport photos, passports, and other false documents (22 Sept. 1999). On the same day police raided the offices of Dove International and arrested lawyer Richard Mukasa in connection with passport fraud (ibid.).

On 1 October 1999 five people were arrested at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda as they tried to travel to the United Kingdom on passports not belonging to them, allegedly bought from their owners (9 Oct. 1999).

On 4 and 5 November 1999 Ugandan immigration officials arrested two people as they tried to collect passports issued to them on the basis of false documentation (7 Nov. 1999).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

High Commission for the Republic of Uganda, Ottawa. 14 June 2000. Correspondence.

The Monitor [Kampala]. 7 November 1999. David Kibirige. "Iranian Student Held for Forging M7 Aides Signatures." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/07nov99/front.html [Accessed 20 June 2000]

_____. 9 October 1999. Titus W. Kakembo. "5 Nabbed with Fake Passports." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/09oct99/front.html [Accessed 20 June 2000]

_____. 22 September 1999. David Kibirige. "Lawyer Nabbed in Passport Racket." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/22sep99/front.html [Accessed 20 June 2000]

_____. 12 September 1999. David Kibirige. "Forged Passport Racket Busted." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/12sep99/front.html [Accessed 20 June 2000]

_____. 2 August 1999. Wamboga-Mugirya. "20 Nabbed in Swoop; Fake Passports Seized." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/02aug99/kala.html [Accessed 20 June 2000]

_____. 6 July 1999. David Kibirige. "Five Ugandans Held in Kenya with Stolen Passports." http://www.africanews.com/monitor/freeissues/06jul99/front/html [Accessed 20 June 2000]