Situation of the population of Asian origin in Uganda

Recommendation 676 (1972)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 18 October 1972 (10th Sitting) (see Doc. 3200, report of the Committee on Population and Refugees). Text adopted by the Assembly on 18 October 1972 (10th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Expressing its grave concern at the massive and sudden expulsion of the population of Asian origin from Uganda, and in particular at the human suffering entailed ;

2. Noting that most of the persons concerned hold British passports and are thus to be considered as "national refugees" ;

3. Recalling that the Committee of Ministers has given a mandate to the Special Representative of the Council of Europe for National Refugees and Over-Population to encourage individually or by concerned action the adoption of measures for the solution of problems of national refugees and overpopulation with which European countries are or may be faced ;

4. Realising that the sudden expulsion from Uganda of tens of thousands of persons places an exceptionally heavy economic and social burden on one of the Council of Europe member States ;

5. Considering that the humanitarian aspects of this problem should be solved in a spirit of European solidarity,

6. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of member States :

6.1 to examine the possibility of resettling on their own territory those persons expelled from Uganda who so wish, and of providing them after arrival with enough financial and material help for them to find adequate accommodation and employment ;

6.2 to provide the competent intergovernmental organisations, in particular the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, and voluntary organisations with the financial support necessary for their work on behalf of the Uganda Asians ;

6.3 to ensure that the Special Representative disposes of sufficient means and facilities to assist the resettlement of the persons expelled from Uganda in the United Kingdom and in other Council of Europe member States which may be prepared to receive them.