Uganda’s legal framework formally grants refugees the right to work, to move freely, and to establish businesses. However, evidence from Kampala and Nakivale Refugee Settlement shows that these rights are frequently undermined in practice by administrative systems and labour-market conditions that are difficult to navigate.
The findings demonstrate a persistent gap between legal entitlement (de jure) and practical access (de facto). These challenges arise from a combination of legal ambiguity, administrative complexity, and practical constraints within labour markets.
At the same time, limited disaggregated data on refugees’ qualifications, skills and prior work experience, constrains the ability of policymakers, donors and implementing partners to design targeted labour-market integration strategies.
