Tatiana Hadjiemmanuel, the Senior Regional Thematic Specialist in Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion at the IOM Regional Office for the East and Horn of Africa based in Nairobi/ photo credit Charles Wote; 30.03.2023

A UN specialist in East and Horn of Africa has commended the government for opening the door for citizens in the region to work in South Sudan.

“South Sudan is a very good example of a country that is integrating every citizen from East and Horn of Africa within South Suda,” said  Tatiana Hadjiemmanuel, the Senior Regional Thematic Specialist in Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion at the IOM Regional Office for the East and Horn of Africa based in Nairobi.

A week ago, the Minister of Labour James Hoth Mai told the 4^th Ministerial session of the labour Ministers in East and Horn of Africa that South Sudan host nearly a million migrant workers.

Ugandans, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Somalis, and Eritreans are some of the migrant workers engaging in different business activities in South Sudan.

She says her office has received positive feedback from migrant workers in South Sudan.

“We had interviews with government and civil society associations of Ugandans, Kenyans and Ethiopians in Juba and we were impressed also with the level of engagement and the level of acceptance they received in South Sudan,” she said.

Tatiana added that “we know also that South Sudan host quite a lot of refugees as well. So the government is doing a very good effort to integrate and also to simulate people within South Sudan and I think it is a good model.”

She spoke exclusively to Eye Radio on the sideline of the ongoing regional media workshop on migration in the East and Horn of Africa in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.