The training programme had three overarching objectives: strengthening the technical, ethical and professional capacity of migration-management personnel; promoting the rights, dignity and safety of migrants; and improving compliance with national and international migration and protection obligations. Across the three locations, discussions also highlighted practical coordination, documentation, fraud detection, border management and inter-agency cooperation.
The Kaya training brought together DCRNPI personnel alongside representatives of border security, health, customs and other relevant actors. Discussions focused on practical challenges at the Kaya–Oraba border between South Sudan and Uganda, particularly the detection of fraudulent travel documents, gaps in data management and the need for clearer coordination among institutions responsible for border management. Particularly, the participants noted that the undocumented movement of South Sudanese refugees between Uganda and South Sudan raised concerns around documentation, overstaying and exposure to trafficking and other protection risks.
The Nimule training focused on migration management at South Sudan’s principal border with Uganda, with particular attention to professional conduct, migrant protection, cross-border crime and coordination among institutions operating at the border. Participants identified migrant smuggling, trafficking, fraudulent documentation and other forms of cross-border crime as key operational concerns. The training in Nimule was subsequently linked by DCRNPI to the practical identification and response to a suspected trafficking case shortly after the activity, demonstrating the immediate relevance of the capacity-building.
The final activity in Juba brought together officers from Juba International Airport, and the senior leadership of DCRNPI. The session was opened by Lt. Gen. Achol Cyier Rahan, Director General, DCRNPI who emphasised the practical value of the training, professionalisation, institutional reform and the need to improve the image of South Sudan’s immigration service. She also pointed out an immediate operational outcome of the training in Nimule where officers had applied their new knowledge from the training in responding to a suspected trafficking in persons case involving a child travelling to Nairobi. The intervention resulted in the apprehension of a suspected trafficker and protection of the child.
In his opening remarks, Karl Wiesemeyer, Programme Manager, KAS RP SIPODI East Africa, hailed the cooperation with TIDE South Sudan and DCRNPI and noted that such engagements shall be upheld in the future. Isaac Khamis Cosmas, Ag. Executive Director, TIDE thanked KAS for the continued cooperation with TIDE, spanning over four years. He expressed gratitude to DCRNPI for allowing to partner with TIDE, also noting that TIDE was the first national Non-Government Organisation to partner with a government institution in South Sudan.
The training in Juba consolidated lessons from the border trainings in Kaya and Nimule while also addressing the broader role of migration institutions in national governance. Although the three activities were conducted separately, they revealed a consistent set of institutional and operational challenges across South Sudan’s migration-management system. Notably, capacity gaps remain significant in technical skills, equipment, ICT systems and institutional resources. Lack of standardisation of travel documents, migrant smuggling, trafficking and irregular cross-border movements require stronger detection, referral and inter-agency response mechanisms.
It was recommended that similar capacity-building activities should be extended to additional border points, including Nadapal on the border with Kenya and Aweil, located on the border with Sudan. Also recommended was a Uganda–South Sudan cross-border migration-management dialogue to address challenges identified at Kaya and Nimule and strengthening of the ICT infrastructure, document-inspection capacity and secure data-management systems at border posts.
At the closure of training, Lt. Gen. Achol Cyier Rahan, Director General, DCRNPI committed to promoting continuous professional development, leadership and teamwork training for immigration and civil registry personnel. Karl Wiesemeyer, Programme Manager, KAS RP SIPODI East Africa, thanked TIDE and DCRNPI for their cooperation and the participants for their interest and insightful contributions. The training programme then closed with the handing-over of training certificates to the participants.
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.