Labour Ministry, Interior to stop foreigners illegally obtaining national IDs for jobs

The newly appointed Undersecretary in the Ministry of Labour, Deborah Akech, says the ministry will work with the Ministry of Interior to address concerns over foreigners obtaining South Sudanese national IDs and using them to work as nationals.

Speaking during her reception ceremony in Juba on Monday, Akech said the Ministry of Labour has no mandate to bar foreign nationals in possession of valid South Sudanese national IDs from employment.

She said the Ministry of Interior, through the Directorate of Nationality, must establish how foreign nationals obtained the South Sudanese national IDs in the first place.

“About Foreigners working in South Sudan. The Ministry does not issue National IDs so if someone has a National ID, we can not prevent that person from working, so the issue is with the ministry of Interior especially with the department of migration, those foreigners working as South Sudanese they have national IDs and how did they get them in the first place,” Akech said.

Akech said the Ministry of Labour will work with the Ministry of Interior and other law enforcement agencies to prevent foreigners from obtaining national IDs and using them to secure employment as South Sudanese.

“We do not control that, anyone that shows us a South Sudan National ID we have no mandate to stop this person. Our work is going to be with the Ministry of Interior and other law enforcement agencies to stop the foreigners from obtaining this National ID,” she said.