South Sudan Student's Union in Ethiopia

On behalf of South Sudan student's union in Ethiopia And on my own behalf I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulatory message to all our esteemed students who had earlier graduated 🎓 today in one of recognize college, Andinet.

This is a great testimony to all of us, it wasn't easy journey but your commitment, perseverance, And hard work delivered to us this joyful day. However, I want to tell you that, it is just a beginning double your efforts And continue higher, it is our responsibility to bring The change we want to see. With all different discipline fields, you will be able to serve and change million live of individual back home.

Finally, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and may almighty father grants you good health . Congratulations once again my able friends and comrades in struggle, God bless you and all students

Yours sincerely,
Daniel Nyok Guet Nyok,
President of South Sudan Students' union in Ethiopia.

Visa Trap Leaves South Sudanese Students Stranded from Going Home

By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Addis Fortune Media
May 24 , 2025
KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Over 1,500 South Sudanese students in Ethiopia face expatriation issues over unsustainable residency fees.
• The unexpected increase in residency costs from 10 dollars to 30 dollars a day has left many students financially strained.
• Scholarships covering only tuition and accommodation heighten the students' vulnerability.
• Administrative limitations and regulatory compliance compound the crisis, with various officials stating their inability to intervene effectively.
When Moses Akuei received his geology degree from Wolaita S**o University, the 27-year-old from South Sudan imagined proudly returning home to his family. Instead, he now sleeps on friends' couches and relies on their generosity for food and shelter, trapped in Ethiopia due to unpaid immigration penalties totalling over 3,000 + dollars.
For all he knows, he is stranded.
“I thought it would be easy after graduation,” Moses said. “But it's not easy to accommodate myself as well as my fellow colleagues.”
Moses is among over 1,500 South Sudanese students in Ethiopia caught in a bureaucratic crisis over rising residency permit fees. For many, a previously straightforward residency process has become a severe financial burden, preventing students from returning home until they settle penalties owed to the Ethiopian Immigration & Citizenship Service (ICS).
The trouble began earlier this year following regulatory changes. International students previously paid 10 dollars a day for residence permits, a fee waived for scholarship students in February. Yet, in a sudden reversal, students were informed that they must handle their identification processes themselves, and the permit fee surged to 30 dollars a day, significantly raising their financial burden.

Daniel Nyok, a medical student at Jimma University and president of the South Sudanese Students Union, described the escalating fees as financially devastating.

“The scholarship only covers tuition and accommodation,” Daniel told Fortune.
The residence fee was paid up until 2022. Back then, it cost 8,000 Br. Now, renewal alone costs students of foreign nationality 150 dollars, not including penalties.
Nearly 200 students due to graduate soon face mounting unpaid immigration fines reaching thousands of dollars, fearing they will be unable to return home and stuck indefinitely between the two countries. According to Daniel, the worsening situation is that graduates are forced to remain in Ethiopia and are increasingly vulnerable.
“Some of them are jobless and penniless,” he said. “They're being pushed into risky behaviours, some are turning to crime just to survive.”

Moses’s story illustrated the desperation many students face. After completing his studies, Moses attempted to renew his residency permit but discovered the waiver no longer applied. He repeatedly sought an exemption between March and June, unaware that daily penalties continued to accrue.
“The arrears were growing quietly, and by the time I realised I had to pay, it was too late,” Moses recalled.

Officials at the Ethiopian Ministry of Education say their ability to help is limited. According to Getu Abdisa, a senior international student expert, the Ministry has no formal obligation to cover these fees.
“It's the responsibility of the South Sudanese Embassy,” Getu told Fortune. “However, we're considering many variables. There is a possibility the Ministry might assist.”
Students' efforts to seek assistance from the South Sudanese Embassy and Ethiopian authorities have yielded little relief. Daniel said the Union submitted letters appealing for help but received only promises.
“We heard promises," he told Fortune. "Three months ago, we were told the penalty would be waived. But nothing has happened. Our appeals fell on deaf ears.”
Ethiopia recently accepted nearly 500 South Sudanese students on scholarship, facing similar confusion. This prompted the Education Ministry to allocate almost 20 million Br to cover student visa costs, representing a considerable budgetary strain. Yet, Getu maintained that the Ministry has received no official student requests about a fee waiver.
“According to the agreement, the scholarship covers only tuition and housing," said Getu. "Nothing more.”
Officials at the Immigration Office echoed similar frustrations. According to Gosa Demissie, deputy bureau head at ICS, the Agency enforces regulations.
“We're not policy makers,” Gosa said. “These students are treated like all others. We can't create exemptions unless the law allows.”
He acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but pointed out the lack of formal communications from student organisations. He said the ICS had received informal appeals but no official documentation that would enable them to address the issue broadly.
The latest immigration directive provides exemptions only in specific circumstances, such as for intensive care patients, minors, homeless individuals, government employees performing labour-intensive jobs, and political asylum seekers. Gosa said that some international students had previously abused the system, overstaying visas without renewing permits, complicating regulatory enforcement.
“We’ve seen foreigners drop out of school and continue staying without renewal," he told Fortune. "It's become difficult to regulate.”
Legal experts agree with the authorities and confirm that students are legally responsible for fees. According to Yared Siyum, founder and principal attorney at Yared Siyum & Associates Law Office, initial payments by embassies do not relieve students from future obligations.
“If the Embassy paid initially, that does not absolve the students from future obligations,” Yared said. “The host country has every right to enforce its residency laws.”
Yared advised students to seek formal administrative solutions through diplomatic channels.
“They can request a full or partial waiver,” he said. “But, it has to come through the appropriate channels, not through informal appeals.”
International scholarship agreements between sponsoring and host governments define the costs.

“If residency fees weren’t included, then the students should pay them,” he said.
However, students like Moses remain trapped in a limbo, unable to plan their futures or even return home.
“My family cannot send money. They can barely survive,” Moses said. “I don’t want to stay here illegally, but I have no way to leave.”
For Daniel and other student representatives, the immediate priority is securing a reprieve from the penalties, allowing their peers a chance to return to South Sudan.
“These students are not asking for extra,” Daniel said. “They’re asking to go home.”

The President of the South Sudan Students' Union in Ethiopia, Dr. Daniel Nyok Guet, has expressed his heartfelt appreciation following the recent appointment of the Honorable Madut Biar Yel as the Minister of Higher Education of the Republic of South Sudan.

Dr. Daniel affirmed his office’s readiness to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Higher Education, emphasizing that such cooperation is vital to advancing the interests, welfare, and academic development of South Sudanese students, both at home and in Ethiopia.

Dr. Daniel serves as the president of the Union, representing over 3,000 South Sudanese students pursuing their studies across various institutions in Ethiopia.

Dear public, the leadership of South Sudan Students' Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is delighted to share with you its first official letter address to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, you are kindly requested to share.

Congratulatory message

Dear south sudanese graduates,

On behalf of South Sudan Students' Union leadership in Ethiopia and on my own behalf, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulatory message to you, our beloved sons and daughters who have graduated recently from a recognize institution Gondar university. It's a pleasure to all of us .

Dear graduates, as you embark on the new journey, remember always that God brought each of us on this world for purpose, I want all of you to take a role and serve your community with honesty and you will be our role model .

In a nutshell, I'm filled with a jubilant. I can't congratulate you enough for the job well done, it's a time for you to transform the knowledge you acquired into something that will benefit our nation, a change starts with small steps, a graduate is an asset to the nation , if you are trusted with public office later do what is right and people will celebrate your names.

Finally, I encourage you to move on with good spirits, "education is the only weapon that can change the world" said by Nelson Mandela . May God bless us, and Congratulations once again!

Sincerely,
Daniel Nyok Guet,
President of South Sudan Students' Union in Ethiopia 🇸🇸 🇸🇸

The South Sudan Student's Union in Ethiopia invites the public to celebrate the restoration of the Union under the theme, " We can unite ourselves and build the concrete Union in Ethiopia. The day has been scheduled to take place in Ras Amba Hotel, Arak-Kilo Addis Ababa on Saturday 12th, Nov. 2022 at 12PM.

See you there!