A FACILITY to house human trafficking victims, people claiming asylum and those who have been declared non-admissible passengers will open in Nadi this year.

Immigration Department director Nemani Vuniwaqa said the facility was not a detention centre but a safe house.

“The safe house is to accommodate those that are victims of trafficking, those that claimed asylum, those that have been declared non-admissible passengers or non-travelling passengers, awaiting the next flight out of the country,” Mr Vuniwaqa said.

“It’s situated in Votualevu and it isn’t up and running yet.

“We are in the process of refurbishing it and putting all the necessary things that need to be there before it’s operational.

“These include beds, eating facilities, stoves, fridge — whatever that needs to be in a house.”

He said the facility could accommodate up to 20 people at one time.

Mr Vuniwaqa also said initial plans to construct a detention centre had proven to be too costly.

“We had plans to construct one but last year, Government shelved that project.

“To construct it would be very costly because we would have to purchase land first and then we had to plan everything.

“So a decision was made by the Government to purchase an existing structure rather than constructing a new one.”

He said the total refurbishment of the facility cost $400,000.