JUBA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's relief agency said on Monday that it has identified more than 1,000 illegal expatriates working with humanitarian organizations in the East African nation and have given them one-month ultimatum to acquire work permits or face the law.
In a letter addressed to the United Nations Office for the Coordination Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) directed all expatriates employed by aid agencies to obtain work permits by Dec. 4.
RRC Deputy Chairperson Paul Dhel Gum said those who fail to comply with the directive would face termination of their employment contract, adding that those with valid visas will be allowed to stay in the country without being employed.
He said the government was prompted to take action after several humanitarian organizations refused to obey the requirements of the South Sudan NGO Act 2016.
Article 18 of the NGO Act states that expatriates be equipped with a valid work permit through the duration of their employment in South Sudan.
"If they fail to get work permits within the 30 days, definitely we will ask the NGOs to terminate their contracts in South Sudan or subsequently, they will be asked to leave the country," Gum told Xinhua by phone on Monday.
"We are expecting the international organizations to comply with the law and there is no compromise when it comes to issues to do with the law," he added.
Last month, the country's ministry of labor and public service announced new annual work permit rates for foreigners ranging between 500 to 4,000 U.S. dollars effective Nov. 1, instead of the previous fee of 100 dollars in order to raise revenue for the cash strapped government to fund its activities.
But the increment prompted an outcry from humanitarian agencies who described it as way of restricting work of foreign aid workers in the war-torn nation.
