US Imposes Visa Revocation On All South Sudanese Passport Holders Amid Repatriation Dispute

In a decisive immigration enforcement move, the United States government has announced the cancellation of all valid visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders. This drastic measure stems from South Sudan’s ongoing refusal to facilitate the return of its repatriated nationals, a stance that violates international repatriation norms.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, this action takes immediate effect and includes both revoking existing visas and halting the issuance of new ones. The move is part of the broader immigration strategy led by the Trump administration, aimed at strengthening domestic immigration laws and ensuring cooperation from foreign governments.

“Every sovereign nation has a responsibility to accept the timely return of its citizens once deported from another country,” said Rubio in an official statement. “Due to South Sudan’s failure to uphold this standard, we are compelled to take corrective action by restricting visa access.”

Rubio also emphasized that the restrictions could be lifted if South Sudan demonstrates full compliance with repatriation protocols.

This policy shift arrives amid growing concern among African nations and the global community over South Sudan’s fragile political climate, which many fear could spiral back into violent conflict. So far, the South Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. has remained silent regarding the visa revocation announcement.

For context, this is not the first instance of the United States using visa sanctions as a diplomatic tool to pressure countries into compliance. In a previous case, the US imposed similar sanctions on countries that delayed or denied the return of their citizens.

You can read more about US-Africa diplomatic tensions on our blog.