Since returning to office in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to deport undocumented migrants, reopening talks with nations across the Global South, including South Sudan, to secure repatriation deals.
South Sudan, the youngest country in Africa, has now shown conditional willingness to receive deportees from the United States, provided certain demands are met.
According to diplomatic sources cited by Politico and reported by Reuters, South Sudan told the Trump administration it may accept more deported migrants if the U.S. lifts visa restrictions imposed on its citizens in April by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reactivates a frozen South Sudanese bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and backs the government’s push to prosecute First Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest.
So far, the Trump administration has not agreed to any of these conditions.
“South Sudan will continue to be an ally of the United States, support the policies of the United States, and especially the policies of the current president, His Excellency President Donald Trump,” said Santino Dicken, South Sudan’s ambassador to Washington.
“But we also hope our partners in the administration understand that, for the government of South Sudan to freely convince its citizens [about deportation], we are asking the U.S. administration to lift visa restrictions on South Sudanese passport holders.”
Don’t Miss This:
Analysts note that South Sudan still faces major hurdles in rebuilding trust with Washington after years of strained relations fueled by civil war, human rights abuses, and democratic backsliding.
The Trump administration has also increased the use of third-country deportations, sending migrants not to their home countries but to nations with which they have no personal or national ties.
Several African countries have become test cases for these deals, many of which are made behind closed doors.
The policy came under scrutiny after five inmates labeled “dangerous” by U.S. authorities were deported to Eswatini because their countries of origin refused to take them back.
The Department of Homeland Security, through spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, defended the move.
But Eswatini said the men were only in transit and would be returned to their home countries once the necessary documentation was completed.
While many Americans support strict immigration enforcement, a recent poll showed that 58 percent of respondents opposed deporting people to countries where they could face harm or where they had not received full legal hearings.
Legal experts and human rights advocates argue that such deportations could breach both U.S. due process protections and international law. Nigeria is one of several nations resisting U.S. pressure.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar recently stated that Nigeria “will not serve as a dumping ground for undocumented persons simply to ease American immigration enforcement,” stressing that proper identification and vetting are essential.
Don’t Miss This:
U.S. Rejects Nigeria’s Claims Linking Visa Restrictions To BRICS And Deportation Disputes
Image Credit: Mattrubhumi
