By Jacob Onuha Nelson
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has fully restricted South Sudanese citizens from entering the United States.
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, the White House announced that Trump signed a Proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing.
The measure, it said, is intended to protect the nation from national security and public safety threats.
According to the statement, the Proclamation continues to enforce full restrictions and entry limitations on nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries established under Proclamation 10949.
These include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The new directive adds five additional countries to the list based on recent analysis: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
“The Proclamation continues the full restrictions and entry limitations of nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries established under Proclamation 10949. It adds full restrictions and entry limitations on five additional countries based on recent analysis: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria,” the White House statement partly read.
The decision was reportedly influenced by visa overstay rates and compliance issues. South Sudan recorded a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 6.99 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 26.09 percent.
Additionally, the country has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals from the U.S., according to AllAfrica media.
Earlier this year, South Sudan had already been subjected to partial restrictions under a U.S. travel ban. The latest Proclamation now places the country under full entry restrictions.