- South Sudan’s Ministry of Labour has no official representatives at Juba International Airport for permit processing.
- Undersecretary Deng Kenjok warned that all work permit payments must occur through official ministry channels only.
- The directive aims to prevent fraudulent activity targeting foreign nationals and employers entering the country.
(JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN) — South Sudan’s Ministry of Labour said it has no officials or representatives stationed at Juba International Airport to handle work permits, labour inspections, fee collection, or related services.
The ministry issued the warning in a public circular on Tuesday signed by Undersecretary Deng Kenjok, telling the public, employers and other stakeholders not to deal with unauthorized people offering those services at the airport.
The circular set out a blunt instruction: no one should make work permit or labour-related payments at the airport. It said all applications, payments and processing must go through the ministry’s official offices and authorized channels.
Kenjok’s warning comes amid concerns over fraud targeting foreign nationals. The ministry did not describe any specific case, but the circular drew a clear line between official procedures and offers made by people operating at the airport.
Under the ministry’s rules, work permits are official documents issued to foreign nationals so they can work legally in South Sudan. The ministry also regulates employment, enforces labour laws and protects workers’ rights.
That gives the circular weight beyond a procedural notice. Anyone seeking a permit through a person with no ministry authority risks paying money outside the legal system and receiving paperwork the ministry does not recognize.
Employers face the same exposure. A company that relies on an airport-based intermediary instead of the ministry’s authorized channels can end up with invalid or fraudulent permit arrangements for foreign staff.
The circular directed applicants to seek services directly from the ministry. It also reinforced that every part of the process, from application to payment, belongs inside the ministry’s official system rather than at an airport counter or through informal collection.
That message matters in a setting where airports often serve as first contact points for incoming foreign workers. The ministry said no labour officials are posted there for permit services, inspections or fee collection, closing off any suggestion that airport transactions carry official standing.
People dealing with work permits now have a simple compliance test: identify the ministry’s official offices and use its authorized channels. Payments made elsewhere, including at Juba International Airport, fall outside the process the ministry said it recognizes.
The notice also places a burden on employers and foreign nationals to verify the legitimacy of anyone offering help. If a service provider cannot show ministry authorization, the circular indicates that applicants should not proceed.
South Sudan’s labour system gives the ministry a central role in deciding how foreign employment is approved and documented. By restating that authority in the circular, Kenjok signaled that permit processing remains an office-based government function, not a service available through individuals approaching travelers at the airport.
The ministry’s position leaves little room for ambiguity. Work permit business belongs with the Ministry of Labour, through its official offices and authorized channels, and not with anyone operating inside or around Juba International Airport.
