Immigration Officers Arrested Over Forged Travel and Nationality Documents

(JUBA – The Director General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Major General Elia Costa, confirmed on Thursday that several immigration officers have been arrested on allegations of fraud in the processing of official documents.

Speaking at a joint media briefing with the South Sudan Revenue Authority in Juba, Maj. Gen. Costa said the officers were accused of extorting money from citizens while issuing invalid documents, including visas, passports and nationality certificates.

Although he did not disclose the exact number of officers arrested, the Director General revealed that some of the suspects were involved in forging Form 15, which is a key requirement for nationality and passport applications. He noted that this form of malpractice undermines the integrity of South Sudan’s identity management system.

“We have arrested some of our personnel who are forging Form 15, visas, nationality and passport documents,” Costa told reporters.

He added that the arrests formed part of a wider crackdown to ensure accountability and to rebuild public trust in immigration services.

Costa urged the public to avoid relying on middlemen or unofficial channels when applying for immigration documents. He explained that the use of intermediaries created opportunities for fraudulent practices and left applicants vulnerable to being issued invalid documents.

The Director General reassured citizens that the government remained committed to combating corruption within public offices, especially in departments that deal directly with services that affect livelihoods, such as travel and citizenship.