The United States announced on Saturday that it would revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders due to the country’s failure to accept the repatriation of its citizens.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Sudan had not adhered to the principle that every nation is obligated to accept the return of its citizens promptly when requested by another country, including the United States.

“Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of State is taking measures to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and halt the issuance of new visas to prevent their entry into the United States,” Rubio stated.

He further emphasized that the U.S. would be willing to reassess these measures once South Sudan demonstrates full cooperation.