Uganda: No diplomat has been expelled from Britain – Foreign Office

Foreign Office says reports that envoy has been expelled by Britain over human trafficking issues are ‘misleading’

The Foreign Office has refuted media reports that a Ugandan envoy has been expelled from Britain for involvement in human trafficking.

This news website reported on Thursday that an envoy from the Ugandan mission in Britain had been sent home on a one-way ticket, but in a statement released on Friday, Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire said the information was “misleading”.

“First and foremost, we would like to make it clear that no Ugandan diplomat has been expelled from the United Kingdom,” PS Bagiire said.

He confirmed that the officials allegedly expelled had completed their service period, which lasted between three and four years, and had been recalled to headquarters for further service instructions, as is customary in the diplomatic service.

In its report, this news website indicated that the unnamed envoy had landed in trouble over allegations of running a human trafficking ring under the guise of diplomatic privileges, and smuggling Ugandan women to Britain under the pretext of hiring domestic workers .

The Nile Post also learned from the envoy that the housekeeper at the center of the trouble tried to stay in Britain against the envoy’s best intentions by seeking asylum.

But PS Bagiire appeared to rule out that this aspect fell under human trafficking, which he said is defined as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people to benefit from their labor or services, usually in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation.

The envoy, who returned home three weeks ago, was awaiting redeployment but the dossier containing PNG’s allegations appears to show infighting in the foreign service involving the mission in Britain.

PS Bagiire said that under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the receiving State may at any time, without having to explain its decision, declare a member of the diplomatic staff of a sending State persona non grata.

“Only under this provision, when a diplomat is considered unwelcome in the receiving state, can we use the term expelled,” he said.

However, Mr. Bagiire, who was contacted before the article was published but who did not respond, has yet to respond to this website’s investigation into the allegations of infighting regarding the dossier written by a member of the Foreign Service .