In a sweeping move, the United States announced on Saturday that it will revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, citing the country’s failure to accept the return of its deported citizens.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the South Sudanese government of “taking advantage of the United States”by refusing to cooperate with repatriation efforts.
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” Rubio said.
The decision, which also halts the issuance of new US visas to South Sudanese nationals, comes amid growing fears that South Sudan may be sliding back toward civil war. The nation previously endured a brutal conflict between 2013 and 2018 that left an estimated 400,000 people dead.
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Rubio emphasized that the US would reconsider the sanctions only if South Sudan fully cooperates in accepting its repatriated citizens.
This marks a significant shift in US policy. During the Obama and Biden administrations, many South Sudanese nationals in the US were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — a designation shielding them from deportation due to unsafe conditions back home. That protection is currently set to expire on May 3, 2025.
The latest crackdown aligns with the broader immigration enforcement stance of the Trump administration, which has focused on repatriating individuals it considers to be in the country unlawfully.
Tensions in South Sudan are once again rising. Just last week, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned global leaders to act swiftly to prevent the country from spiraling “over the abyss” into renewed conflict.
Adding to the instability, African Union mediators arrived in the capital, Juba, this week for emergency talks, shortly after First Vice President Riek Machar was reportedly placed under house arrest.
