Juba Immigration Reports Growing Backlog of Documents
South Sudan’s Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration says more than 3,000 passports and nationality cards are currently uncollected in storage facilities in Juba, adding to administrative pressure inside the department.
Major General Elai Costa Explains What Officials Are Seeing
Speaking to Eye Radio on Thursday, Major General Elai Costa said many applicants do not return after submitting their paperwork. He added that some passports have reportedly expired while still held by the department (Eye Radio).
“We have a lot of nationality cards and passports in our store waiting for their owners to come and collect them, more than three thousand,” Gen. Costa said. “Some passports have even expired because they were produced but the owners did not come to receive them” (Eye Radio).
Public Complaints, Storage Congestion, and Verification Gaps
Gen. Costa linked the uncollected documents to congestion in storage and confusion among the public. He said some people complain about processing delays without first checking whether their passports or nationality cards are already ready for collection (Eye Radio).
Applicants Urged to Follow Up at Immigration Offices
The director said between three and four thousand documents may currently be awaiting pickup. He encouraged applicants who submitted months ago to visit immigration offices and verify their application status (Eye Radio).
“Maybe your nationality card or passport is already ready, but you have not come to check it,” he said. “If the nationality card is available, it will not take you more than two days to obtain it” (Eye Radio).
Processing Delays Linked to Card and Booklet Shortages
Gen. Costa also acknowledged that delays can occur when the department faces shortages of nationality cards or passport booklets, which can slow processing timelines for new applications (Eye Radio).
A Practical Message: Confirm Availability Before Waiting Longer
He called on the public to follow up regularly rather than waiting indefinitely, arguing that many complaints could be resolved if applicants first confirmed whether their documents were already available for collection (Eye Radio).