UPDATE - Dozens of Ugandans arrested in South Sudan visa crackdown

ADDS MORE DETAILS FROM AUTHORITIES, CHANGES DECK

By Benjamin Takpiny and Godfrey Olukya

JUBA, South Sudan/KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - At least 65 Ugandans have been arrested in South Sudan for not having valid visas, a community representative said on Wednesday.

The Ugandan nationals have been picked up since Monday because they had expired or no visas, according to James Nsereko, a member of the Ugandan community in South Sudan’s capital Juba.

However, South Sudan's immigration chief Lt. Gen. Atem Marol Biar denied their arrest, saying they were rather informing and urging undocumented foreigners to renew their visas voluntarily.

"A huge number of foreigners are here, with more than 90% staying without documents, especially from the two countries, Eritrea and Uganda. We agree to give them temporary stay permits for three months on the condition that they go back to their embassies to process their documents," Bair said.

Bair also denied reports that South Sudan was overcharging Ugandan nationals for visas, amid reports that fees for one had been hiked from $50 to $100.

He underlined that his officers charge $50 for a single visa, good for three months, and $120 for multiple visas, which last six months.

Only those who failed to cooperate with police have been arrested, said Bair, underscoring that their detention was not due to their visa situation.

However, Nsereko had earlier told Anadolu Agency: "Immediately after the announcement, the police and military started arresting people who did not have visas or their visas had expired. They have been carrying out raids day and night."

He said many Ugandans living in South Sudan are employed in the informal sector and rarely renew their visas unless they have to go back to Uganda.

“Even then, in most cases, they bribe immigration officers at the border, instead of applying for new visas,” he explained.

He said there are no official figures on how many Ugandans live in Juba or South Sudan but “the number is in the thousands.”

Nsereko said a group of Ugandans staged a protest outside Uganda’s Embassy in Juba on Tuesday against the increase in visa fees and the arrests of their compatriots.

He said embassy officials have promised to address their complaints but “there have been no developments so far.”

William Edimu, a Ugandan immigration officer at the border with South Sudan, said officials are trying to engage with their counterparts in Juba about the situation.

“All we know is that the East African Community countries agreed that visa charges should be $50. South Sudan is a member of this bloc, so we are all wondering why it is charging $100?” he said.