Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad has hit back at claims that the current government is driving Fijians out of the country, saying the migration trend is long-standing and not unique to the current administration.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Prof Prasad cited official figures to dispel what he called a “myth and misinformation” being pushed by the Opposition.
“In 2016, 26,426 people left. In 2017, it was 27,000. Who was in government then?” he asked. “It was the Bainimarama government. Were they chasing people away?”
He noted that in 2022, 28,504 people left Fiji, and in 2023, the number rose to 29,719, coinciding with the reopening of Australian and New Zealand borders and employment schemes post-COVID.
The number dropped to 22,433 in 2024, he said.
Prof Prasad said migration figures include people moving for education, employment, and family reunification, not just those fleeing the country due to political reasons.
He accused the Leader of the Opposition of attempting to manipulate the issue for political gain.
“He is worried about his dwindling political fortune and is trying to play the race card,” Prof Prasad said.
The Minister urged Parliament and the public to look at migration in a broader global and economic context, rather than using it to score political points.
