Ugandan Asians recall 1970s exodus

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Ugandan Asians recall 1970s exodus
South Asians arrive in the U.K. after being expelled from Uganda. Courtesy of the BBC World Service
Ugandan Asians recall 1970s exodus
South Asians arrive in the U.K. after being expelled from Uganda. Courtesy of the BBC World Service

Ugandan Asians recall 1970s exodus

By
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In August 1972, the dictator Idi Amin announced that all Asians in Uganda had 90 days to leave the country. Amin claimed to have had a dream in which God ordered the expulsion.

The British Empire brought Indians to sub-Saharan Africa to do clerical work. Many South Asians in Uganda worked in the banking and clothing industries.

For the BBC World Service program Witness, exiled Ugandan Asians talk of their traumatic exodus. Many were stripped of their wealth and struggled to come to terms with life in exile far from home.