The failed deportation of Grace Road members from Fiji has been highlighted in the 2023 report on International Religious Freedom released by the US Department of State.
The report states Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua described Grace Road as a “cult”.
“In September, authorities issued a deportation order for several members of the Grace Road Church, a South Korean religious group with more than 400 followers,” stated the report.
“According to local media, the recent move against the church signified a change in attitude toward the group’s leaders under Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who won election in December 2022.
“In September, local media reported that Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua received a petition from Grace Road Group employees.
“In response, Mr Tikoduadua said the Government had nothing against the group, but that this matter was between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the individuals it identified as fugitives, and the Fiji Government had obligations based on its relationship with other governments.
“Describing Grace Road as a ‘cult’, Mr Tikoduadua criticised the previous administration of prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama for ignoring outstanding Interpol notices for the arrests of the Grace Road members.
“In September, media outlets reported that the chair of Fiji’s Human Rights and Antidiscrimination Commission said members of the Grace Road Church who faced deportation must be given the right to challenge their detention and deportation.”
