Secretary of State Marco Rubio says South Sudan has failed to comply with Washington’s immigration policy, including deportation orders
Washington has revoked all visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders, accusing the East African country – where political tensions have heightened fears of a civil war – of refusing to accept its nationals being removed from the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Saturday, saying it is effective immediately.
According to Rubio, South Sudan’s transitional authorities have failed to respect the principle that every country must accept the timely return of its citizens when another nation, including the US, seeks to deport them.
“The United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders,” he stated.
US President Donald Trump campaigned last year on promises to tighten immigration policy and reverse his predecessor Joe Biden’s allegedly lenient approach to foreigners living in the country illegally. Since taking office in January, Trump has expanded expedited removal and denied federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions. He has declared a national emergency, allowing the deployment of the armed forces to secure the border. His administration is expanding detention facilities to hold up to 30,000 migrants.
According to a report released late last year by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, around 40,172 people from 47 African countries face deportation from the US.
The White House has warned that countries that fail to take back their citizens will face consequences, including visa sanctions or tariffs. Colombian President Gustavo Petro earlier denied entry to two American military planes carrying deported migrants. Petro later reversed course after Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs and sanctions against Colombia.
The Biden administration granted South Sudanese people Temporary Protected Status, which is offered to foreign citizens who are unable to safely return home due to several reasons, including war and natural disasters. The current designation for South Sudanese nationals will expire on May 3.
In a statement on Saturday, Rubio said it is “time for the transitional government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States.”
“We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation,” he added.
The landlocked state became Africa’s newest country after it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. However, it has remained volatile since the end of a five-year civil war that erupted in 2013 over a feud between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his current first vice president, Riek Machar. Despite a 2018 peace deal allowing the rivals to share power, political tensions persist.
Last month, Washington ordered non-emergency staff in South Sudan to depart the volatile country after fighting broke out between national forces and ethnic militias, threatening the 2018 ceasefire deal.
