Ugandan officials return passports to four Taiwanese

Ugandan immigration authorities have returned the passports of four Taiwanese after withholding the travel documents at Entebbe International Airport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said yesterday.

After hearing about the incident, the ministry immediately instructed its representative office in Somaliland, which is responsible for affairs involving Uganda, to closely monitor the situation and work with the Uganda Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce to communicate with the authorities there, Hsiao said.

The passports were returned to their holders on Wednesday local time, he said.

Republic of China passports are pictured on March 5, 2023.

Photo: CNA

The incident followed an earlier incident in which Ugandan immigration officials withheld the passports of two Taiwanese at Entebbe airport, with one of them later deported, the ministry said.

On Wednesday last week, three other Taiwanese, a businessperson and family members, had their passports withheld upon arrival, it said.

Although they were allowed to enter Uganda, officials said the passports could only be returned after they presented Chinese passports for entry stamps, citing the country’s adherence to the “one China” policy.

The Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, and the ROC and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, the ministry said.

Beijing’s attempts to politicize the issue and undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty cannot change the “status quo,” it said, adding that China’s actions highlight the authoritarian nature of its pressure on other countries.

Hsiao called on governments around the world to uphold professional and pragmatic principles, avoid political interference and respect the ROC’s legitimate passports and travel documents to ensure normal bilateral economic and people-to-people exchanges.