Uganda returns passports withheld from 4 Taiwanese: MOFA

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Ugandan immigration authorities have returned the passports to four Taiwanese nationals after recently withholding their documents at Entebbe International Airport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

MOFA spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) said that 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 the authorities there.

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

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

On Aug. 12, three more Taiwanese nationals, 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 for entry stamps, citing the country's adherence to "one China."

MOFA reiterated that Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is a sovereign and independent country and that the ROC and the People's Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other.

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 its 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.