Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Director General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration Gen. Elia Costa, has announced that South Sudanese citizens who require urgent medical treatment abroad will temporarily be issued business passports or emergency travel documents.
The measure comes amid a nationwide shortage of regular, diplomatic passport booklets, and nationality cards.
Gen. Costa made the announcement following a Tuesday meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Interior, where officials discussed a range of issues of mutual concern.
He explained that special and official passports will now only be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and only for individuals who meet eligibility criteria under existing regulations.
“The leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior met and discussed issues of mutual concern. We resolved that special and official passports will only be issued according to the rules and regulations. For critical emergencies, such as medical referrals abroad, business passports or travel documents will be provided, ” Gen. Costa said during a broadcast on SSBC TV on Wednesday
The meeting also addressed the deployment of immigration attachés to South Sudan’s missions abroad, in line with government budget ceilings and downsizing requirements.
Gen. Costa added that the ministers had agreed to continue engaging the Ministry of Finance and Planning to urgently resolve payment issues required for the production and availability of passports and nationality cards.
“We also agreed on the deployment of immigration attachés to missions abroad, and to continue working with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the availability of passports and nationality cards,“ he added.
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