In This Article

  • Evacuation Details
  • Evacuee Status and Journey
  • Evacuation Operation and Coordination
  • Ongoing Efforts and Contact Information
  • Broader Context and Consular Challenges

Key Takeaways

  • Uganda evacuated 42 citizens and two diplomatic personnel from Iran via road to Turkey due to escalating Iran-Israel conflict on June 13, 2025.
  • Evacuees, primarily university students, endured a four-day overland journey to Istanbul and will be repatriated after temporary 10-day Turkish visas.
  • Turkish authorities allowed entry at Bargarzan border crossing under condition of Ugandan repatriation within 10 days, with diplomats overseeing the transit.
  • Uganda activated an Emergency Evacuation Coordination Centre in Turkey to manage the operation and finalize return flights for evacuees.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges families to contact designated officials for information about remaining Ugandan nationals in Iran.

Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has successfully evacuated 42 citizens and two diplomatic personnel from Iran as regional hostilities intensify following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Israel on June 13, 2025.

The group, comprised primarily of university students, departed Tehran by road and is currently en route to Istanbul, Turkey, where they are expected to arrive Thursday afternoon. Officials are finalizing arrangements for their subsequent journey back to Uganda.

Margaret Awino Kafeero, Head of Public Diplomacy, confirmed the evacuees endured an exhausting four-day overland trek. "We expect the evacuees to arrive by bus in Istanbul where they will get a bit of rest as their flight details are finalized," Kafeero stated. "Exhausted as they are, they will need to keep moving."

Turkish authorities granted the group temporary entry visas on arrival at the Bargarzan border crossing, contingent upon Uganda's commitment to ensure their departure from Türkiye within 10 days. Diplomats including Second Secretary Julius Malinga received the group at the border before placing them on buses to Istanbul.

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The operation was coordinated by the Ugandan Embassy in Tehran and an Emergency Evacuation Coordination Centre established in Turkey, led by Chargé d'Affaires Matat Twaha. This center was activated shortly after the conflict escalated.

Registration and extraction efforts continue for other Ugandan nationals remaining in Iran. The Ministry urges relatives or those with information about trapped Ugandans to contact its officials:

The regional flare-up has prompted multiple countries to initiate evacuations. Uganda faces urgent consular challenges in assisting its citizens in Iran, who include students and traders. The Emergency Coordination Centre will remain operational until all Ugandan nationals are safely accounted for and repatriated.

 

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#Uganda #Diplomacy #Iran #Evacuation #Israel Conflict