Ugandan climate activist, Morris Nyombi, the founder of Earth Volunteers, a non-profit organization focused on tree planting and climate action, has accused the Netherlands embassy of unfair treatment and a lack of transparency in his visa application process for an upcoming event in Holland.
Nyombi intended to travel to the Netherlands to participate in the International Fundraising Congress where he was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech. However, his initial visa application was rejected on the grounds of insufficient ties to Uganda, which raised concerns about his return after the event. The embassy also expressed apprehension about his potential intention to stay in the Netherlands due to the political situation in Uganda.
Despite possessing a UK visa activated for an event in London on November 4th and another for the USA, Nyombi decided to reapply for the Netherlands visa. However, the embassy failed to respond to his calls and emails as the event’s date drew closer.
The embassy informed Nyombi that the visa decisions were made in the Netherlands and directed him to appeal with their main office in Hague, where he submitted his passport and necessary documents for consideration. Surprisingly, the documents and passport were returned to the Kampala embassy for a decision.
Frustratingly, Nyombi has been waiting for over 15 working days to receive his passport, essential for his participation in the upcoming conference. He believes that the embassy’s actions are unjust, as they seem to be unnecessarily delaying his passport and potentially denying his visa without clear reasons.
This marks the second time Nyombi has applied for the visa, and he claims to have followed all due procedures. Expressing his disappointment, he highlighted the financial losses incurred due to visa denials in two different months.
Nyombi is calling on the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda to provide clarity and transparency regarding the reasons behind the visa denial and passport delay. He wants a fair and open explanation for the situation.
