The European Union has urged South Sudan to make the acquisition of nationality affordable to all citizens.
Speaking during the opening of the Training on Nationality Documentation and Mitigation of the Risk of Statelessness in Juba Monday, the EU Deputy Head of Delegation, Lothar Jaschke, noted that the cost for the nationality certificate/ID card had risen to US$5 dollars from US$2.
Noting that statelessness is a grave human rights concern and remains a significant issue globally, the envoy asserted that nationality documentation is not just a bureaucratic requirement, but a fundamental right that ensures one’s recognition by the state and access to opportunities.
“Human rights,” he said, “are at the core of our external actions,” adding that EU was determined to promote human rights in all areas of its external action.
“The right to a nationality is reflected in numerous international treaties, including the Council of Europe’s European Convention on Nationality based on the principles of prevention of statelessness and non-discrimination. The right to a nationality constitutes part of a person’s social identity,” the envoy explained.
Jaschke appreciated that the training marked a crucial step in South Sudan’s journey towards a stable, peaceful and democratic state, in full respect of human rights and rule of law.
“I believe this is the wider objective of us all which the EU fully supports ever since day one of South Sudan’s independence,” he said.
“More specifically today’s training is crucial for addressing the challenges that many returnees and internally displaced persons face in securing civil documentation,” he added.
The envoy advised South Sudan to operationalize the civil registry and make civil documentation accessible to all citizens, and continue to find ways to achieve the pledges made for the Global Refugee Forum in December 2023.
The EU envoy said cooperation among states and partners could ensure that vulnerable groups—including refugees, IDPs, returnees, and at-risk children—were properly documented and legally recognized.
The training is organized by UNCHCR within the framework of an EU funded project, launched in 2022 to ensure that persons returning voluntarily from neighboring countries are reintegrated into their communities, including by obtaining national documentation.
The overall target is the documentation to 15,000 individuals and to build the capacity of 2,000 government, local leaders, community and civil society members in Yei, Torit, Raja and Wau. So far, 13,000 individuals have been issued with national documents; and 455 individuals have been trained.
The training aims to enhance the capacity of the South Sudan Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports, and Immigration. It is part of the capacity building efforts in Juba and will be followed by similar events in Central, Eastern Equatoria, and Northern Bahr el- Ghazal.