Uganda returns passports confiscated from four Taiwanese

Ugandan immigration authorities have returned the passports of four Taiwanese after recently withholding their documents at Entebbe International Airport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said today.

After learning of 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 authorities in the African nation, MOFA spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) said.

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

Earlier this month, Ugandan immigration officials at Entebbe airport withheld the passports of two Taiwanese, one of whom was later deported, the ministry said.

On Wednesday last week, three more Taiwanese, including a businessperson and family members, had their passports withheld upon arrival.

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

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is a sovereign and independent country, and the ROC and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 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 such actions further highlight the authoritarian nature of China’s pressure on other countries.

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