Fiji Government Takes Actions as Illegal Immigrant Population Doubles

Fiji's government has introduced new measures to address the growing number of illegal immigrants in the country, which has more than doubled within a year.

The illegal population now exceeds 8,000, with around 90% of offenders being Pacific Islanders who overstayed after coming to Fiji for educational purposes.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed that the number of overstayers had risen dramatically from 4,709 in January 2023 to over 8,000 by the following year.

In response, the government has implemented a strategic approach to manage the issue, including enhanced border management capabilities and intelligence coordination to identify irregular migration patterns.

Rabuka also questioned whether Fiji’s previous stance on illegal immigration had been too lenient and suggested a more proactive role for law enforcement.