KAMPALA.The Ministry of Internal Affairs has arrested at least 231 illegal immigrants in two separate intelligence-led crackdowns targeting irregular migration.
According to the Ministry Spokesperson Simon Peter Mundeyi, 169 foreign nationals were arrested Monday night in an apartment in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb, without valid immigration status. Of these, 36 are women.
He explained that the majority are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia.
“Inside the building we recovered a significant cache of computers of all types and IT equipment used to facilitate illegal gaming, betting and organized scamming,” Mr Mundeyi said.
He added: “The group was operating from a highly restricted, self-contained apartment complex equipped with its own restaurant and internal facilities designed to restrict movement, with very strict access and exit.”
According to Mundeyi, the suspects lacked all forms of identification, including travel passports.
“We did not find them with passports and on interrogation they did inform us that the passports are with their bosses, which bosses have not yet made their way here,” he said.
In a separate crackdown conducted by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, a group of 62 Nigerian nationals were arrested on April 27, 2026, in Adjumani District, also operating illegally without valid work permits while engaged in activities that include the operation of a church.
Mr. Mundeyi revealed that these are still held at the Ministry’s facility in Namanve.
“These people come under the guise of preaching the gospel and hide behind other irregular activities. So acting on that intelligence, we swung into action and were able to apprehend them,” Mr. Mundeyi said.
He explained that upon interrogation, some of the suspects were trafficked into Uganda under false promises of employment while others were directly involved in cyber scamming and related offenses.
According to the Ministry, all the 231 individuals arrested across these two operations are currently undergoing rigorous screening and processing, highlighting that those found in violation of Uganda’s immigration laws will face prosecution in accordance with the country’s laws, while cases involving suspected trafficking or criminal activity will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
The Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all foreign nationals living and working in Uganda are properly documented and comply with national regulations.
Mr Mundeyi asked the public to support enforcement efforts by reporting suspicious activities and also warned landlords to always verify the immigration status of foreign tenants before offering accommodation.
“We also ask the landlords who offer accommodation facilities to these people who are clearly not Ugandan to endeavor to ask for at least the immigration status before allowing them to settle in their premises,” he said