INDIVIDUALS residing unlawfully in Fiji should leave the country.
Permanent secretary for Immigration Aliki Vuli Salusalu said this to the Constitution Review Commission as he called for clearer legal backing to strengthen deportation processes.
Making a submission for his department, Mr Salusalu highlighted ongoing challenges in removing prohibited immigrants, with court processes often delaying enforcement.
“So ideally, if you’re unlawful in the country, we’d like you to leave,” he said.
“When you become unlawful in the country, that is probably where the sovereignty steps in and say because you have breached your conditions of being here, therefore you are no longer entitled to be in Fiji.”
Mr Salusalu pointed to Section 21 of the Constitution, which grants rights to those “lawfully in Fiji”, arguing that such protections should not extend to unlawful residents.
He said legal challenges, including judicial reviews, are frequently used to prolong deportation.
“You know how the court works; it just prolongs the process.”
Commission chairman Sevuloni Valenitabua acknowledged the concerns, but stressed the importance of due process.
“Every person has got a right to know ‘why am I being removed’,” he said.
He added that while enforcement was necessary, decisions to remove individuals must be justified and subject to proper legal scrutiny.
