South Sudan threatens crackdown on foreign workers without permits amid weak digital registration

JUBA — South Sudan Ministry of Labour has ordered employers across the country to immediately comply with labour laws requiring foreign workers to hold valid work permits, warning of penalties as authorities move to tighten oversight in a country with open borders and limited digital identification systems.

In a circular dated Dec. 3, 2025, and signed by Undersecretary Deng Kenjok, the ministry instructed all organisations, companies, NGOs, institutions and business entities operating in South Sudan to verify the legal status of foreign employees and ensure compliance with national labour regulations.

The directive underscores what the ministry described as the government’s “unwavering commitment to fair labour practices, protection of national employment, and the maintenance of lawful workplaces.”

According to the circular, the order is anchored in Article 16(3) of the Labour Act, 2017, which requires every foreign employee to possess a valid work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour.

Employing foreign nationals without such documentation, the ministry said, constitutes a “serious violation of the law.”

The warning comes amid growing concern within government circles that South Sudan’s largely open borders — combined with the absence of a national digital identification system or interoperable migration database — make it difficult to track, register or verify the status of foreign workers entering and working in the country.

Officials and labour experts say the lack of digital entry records, biometric registration and cross-agency data sharing has created an environment in which many foreign nationals are employed informally, often without work permits or verifiable documentation.

Foreign workers in South Sudan are commonly drawn from neighbouring countries including Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, particularly in sectors such as construction, trade, hospitality, transport, telecommunications and humanitarian operations.

Many enter through land borders with minimal documentation, officials say.

The Labour Ministry cautioned that employers who fail to comply face severe penalties, including prosecution, substantial fines, closure of non-compliant establishments and, where applicable, deportation of undocumented foreign workers.

“All employers are hereby ordered to immediately verify the legal status of their entire workforce and ensure full compliance with Labour Laws and Regulations,” the circular stated.

The ministry said nationwide inspections will begin without prior notice, targeting both private and public institutions to assess compliance with work permit requirements and other labour standards.

“Non-compliance will be met with swift and decisive legal action,” the circular reads, signalling a tougher enforcement posture.

The directive follows complaints from officials that undocumented foreign labour undermines labour regulations, weakens wage controls and reduces employment opportunities for South Sudanese citizens, particularly in urban centres such as Juba, Wau and Malakal.

Employers have been urged to conduct internal audits of staff records, regularize the status of foreign employees and cooperate fully with inspection teams once enforcement operations begin.

The Ministry of Labour did not specify how long the inspections would last but said enforcement would be continuous as part of broader efforts to strengthen labour governance.

Analysts say the crackdown highlights a deeper structural challenge: without digital public infrastructure for migration management — including digital IDs, work permit systems linked to border entry records, and interoperable databases across labour, immigration and security agencies — enforcement risks being selective, inefficient or prone to abuse.

They warn that sustainable labour regulation will depend not only on inspections but on building digital systems capable of identifying who is in the country, where they work, and under what legal status.