Foreigners queue at the immigration office in Wau for registration. [Gurtong/ James Deng Dimo]
By James Deng Dimo
WAU, 25 July 2012 [Gurtong] - The State Director of Nationality, Passport and Immigration John Madut Malek says that 3,898 Sudanese nationals have registered in Wau in an effort to legalise their status.
The immigration office has also registered nationals from neighbouring Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Malek said the registration of foreigner’s in the state was due to end on 21 July 2012 but has been extended to 25 July 2012 due slow turnout of foreigners.
Malek urged those who have not come for registration to immediately turn up for the exercise before the deadline.
“Failure to report for the registration will lead to appropriates legal procedures because it is a criminal offence to keep a foreigner without legal documents”, he cautioned.
Malek said the registration exercise is alsobeing conducted to crack down on illegal immigrants as thousands of foreigners stay in Wau illegally.
Malek appealed to the registered foreigners without passports or visa to immediately visit their embassy office in Juba for the documents to legalise their stay.