A review of Fiji’s naturalisation laws is needed to strengthen national security and address concerns over the granting of citizenship to foreign nationals, says Savusavu resident Emosi Rakai.
He warned that Fiji’s citizenship framework needed closer scrutiny, arguing that the process of granting citizenship to foreign nationals should take into account national security risks and the country’s international relationships.
He made the submission during the parliamentary special committee’s public consultation on the 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill in Savusavu last Saturday.
Mr Rakai said citizenship could be acquired through birth, registration or naturalisation, but questioned whether the current provisions provided sufficient safeguards when assessing applications from people born in countries he considered high-risk.
“Born in Islamabad, high-risk countries, but they qualify through naturalisation,” he said.
He called for a review of the citizenship provisions under Chapter One, proposing that Fiji reconsider how naturalisation decisions were made in relation to its diplomatic relationships with other countries.
Mr Rakai argued that Fiji’s diplomatic relationships could provide a basis for determining which foreign nationals should qualify for citizenship.
“Because when we have foreign diplomatic bases with countries, there is a common ground between Fiji and those countries,” he said.
He proposed limiting the granting of Fijian citizenship and passports to people from countries with which Fiji maintained such diplomatic relationships.
“So we only issue Fijian passports or blue passports to people that we have from those countries for citizenship of those countries that we have foreign diplomatic bases with.”
