Immigration Chief Warns Officers Against Selling South Sudanese Citizenship

(JUBA) – The Director General of Immigration, Maj. Gen. Elia Costa Faustino, has ordered immigration officers to stop facilitating illegal documents that allow foreigners to obtain South Sudanese nationality and passports.

He made the remarks on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, while addressing officers during a decoration parade for newly promoted personnel in Juba. While congratulating the officers on their promotions, he issued a strong warning that national sovereignty must come before personal financial gain.

Maj. Gen. Costa said the Immigration Directorate has received reports that some officers are accepting bribes to process fraudulent marriage documents. These forged agreements are then used to grant South Sudanese nationality and passports to foreign nationals who do not qualify under the law.

According to the Director General, the bribes involved are often small amounts of money, but their impact on the country is serious. He said officers are allegedly taking between 100 and 200 United States dollars to approve such illegal processes. At the current market rate of 7,100 South Sudanese pounds to one United States dollar, this amounts to about 710,000 to 1,420,000 South Sudanese pounds.

Maj. Gen. Costa expressed concern that some officers appear to prioritise the needs of foreigners over those of South Sudanese citizens. He said it is common to see officers rushing to process documents for foreign applicants, while genuine citizens are left waiting for long periods.

He questioned why officers choose to assist foreigners instead of serving South Sudanese people and said he intends to personally follow up on suspicious cases to confirm whether they are genuine and lawful.

The Immigration Chief warned that by facilitating illegal citizenship, officers are putting the country at risk. He said such actions undermine national security and weaken the identity of the Republic of South Sudan for the sake of small payments.

He reminded the newly promoted officers that wearing the uniform is a sign of trust and responsibility. He stressed that promotion should not be seen as permission to engage in corruption, forgery, or extortion.

The Directorate of Immigration indicated that tighter monitoring measures will be introduced to identify and prosecute officers involved in forging marriage certificates and nationality documents. Internal investigations are expected to focus on networks that help foreigners acquire national documents through unlawful means.

Maj. Gen. Costa said the message is clear as South Sudan continues efforts to improve and modernise its civil registration and immigration systems:

Officers who sell the country’s identity for a few hundred dollars will no longer be protected and will face the full force of the law.