U.S. Revokes Visas for South Sudanese Passport Holders Amid Tensions
In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that the United States is revoking visas for all South Sudanese passport holders, effective immediately. This decision has raised concerns among various observers, especially considering the escalating risks of a civil conflict in South Sudan.
Reason for Visa Revocation
The announcement comes as a response to the South Sudanese government’s alleged failure to repatriate its citizens back to the country in a timely manner. Notably, Rubio’s directive also includes a prohibition on any further issuance of visas to South Sudanese nationals.
Criticism of the Decision
Experts have criticized this move as “wrongheaded cruelty.” Rebecca Hamilton, a professor at American University, emphasized on X:
“The vast majority of South Sudanese in this country (or, frankly inside South Sudan, right now) have no say in what their government does.”
Hamilton highlighted that many South Sudanese nationals in the United States are working, studying, and honing skills critical for their homeland.
Mike Brand, an adjunct professor at both the University of Connecticut and Georgetown University, echoed these sentiments, stating:
“South Sudan is about to blow up into potentially another country-wide civil war, putting civilians at risk. But yea let’s force people to go back now.”
South Sudan’s Current Political Climate
Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has faced significant turmoil, including two protracted civil wars. The political strife resurfaced in 2013, leading to renewed conflict between factions supporting President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar. Although an agreement aimed at establishing peace was reached in 2018, the country has yet to conduct its delayed presidential elections, and President Kiir remains in power.
Recent tensions escalated further last month when Machar was arrested, prompting his political faction to declare the peace accord effectively null and void.
Response from South Sudan
Following Rubio’s announcement, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated on X that attempts to engage diplomatically with the South Sudanese government have been met with resistance, particularly regarding the repatriation of a South Sudanese national certified by their embassy in Washington.
In response, South Sudan’s government released a statement asserting that the individual in question is actually a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and denied any lack of communication with the U.S. regarding immigration matters.
Historical Context and Implications for South Sudanese Nationals in the U.S.
The history of South Sudanese migration to the U.S. includes the resettlement of thousands of “lost boys” following the civil war in Sudan which commenced in the 1980s, ultimately leading to South Sudan’s independence. During the Obama administration, South Sudanese nationals were granted temporary protected status (TPS) in 2011, shielding them from deportation due to the unsafe conditions at home. This designation has since been extended by the Biden administration but is set to expire in early November.
As of September 2024, only 155 South Sudanese nationals in the U.S. continue to benefit from TPS protections.
Concerns now arise that Rubio’s announcement may indicate a plan to terminate TPS for South Sudanese individuals, as articulated in a recent commentary by Hamilton in Just Security.
Impact on the South Sudanese Community
The ramifications of this policy shift extend to members of the South Sudanese community in the U.S., including notable figures like Khaman Maluach, a star basketball player at Duke University, whose family fled South Sudan during his childhood.
This decision not only affects the legal status of South Sudanese individuals in the U.S. but also raises broader concerns about the future stability of South Sudan amidst growing geopolitical tensions.
