Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa speaking during a Regional Media Workshop on Migration in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday 30th March 2023. Photo Credit: IOM.

A top UN official says South Sudan authorities should not undermine securing jobs for its own citizens while opening its doors to migrant workers.

South Sudan currently host nearly one million mostly undocumented migrants from the region and Africa, according to the Minister of Labour, James Hoth Mai.

Mohammed Abdiker, the IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa said the South Sudan government must work on the skills development of its citizens, and not bring in more migrant workers who will be taking the jobs of South Sudanese.

“We have to balance that we don’t bring more and more people into the country who will be taking jobs that belong to South Sudanese,” he said during a workshop in Kenya.

“If a South Sudanese is capable of doing that job, then that South Sudanese is the one to be given that job, and the discussion is ongoing with the Minister of Labour not just in the regional ministerial forum.”

“We are looking at if we don’t have that skill, it is good to have a Kenyan to provide that skill. So I think there is a positive aspect of this, but we need to balance that to make sure that it does not undermine the government priority in giving jobs to its own citizens.”