US Cancels All Visas Issued to South Sudanese Citizens
Washington, April 6 (Hibya) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that Washington had canceled all visas issued to South Sudan passport holders and barred new arrivals. Rubio complained that the African country refuses to accept its deported citizens from the US.
The State Department stated: "We are taking action to cancel all visas held by South Sudan passport holders and to block entry by preventing further visa issuance."
This marks the first measure targeting all passport holders from a specific country since Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20 after campaigning on an anti-immigration platform.
Rubio accused the transitional government in Juba of "taking advantage of the United States," adding, "Every country must accept the timely return of its citizens when another country seeks to deport them."
He said Washington "is prepared to review these actions when South Sudan fully cooperates."
The Trump administration's focus on South Sudan followed a rise in the number of Africans attempting to enter the US via the southern border as an alternative to risky routes to Europe.
South Sudan, the world's newest nation and also one of the poorest, is reportedly suffering from political tensions among its leaders.
Some observers fear the resumption of civil war, which killed 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018.
Albania News Agency
Facebook
Tweeter
Whatsapp
