The Director of Immigration, Mr Nemani Vuniwaqa stressed that the Department of Immigration has a zero tolerance policy on immigration crimes.
“Establishing this policy was high on my agenda when I took up the office in March this year,” Vuniwaqa said.
“Strengthening of the Immigration Data Security System, border security and surveillance and the development of the Immigration Department’s Anti Corruption Policy for our staffs are amongst the top business priorities for the Immigration Department”.
The Director said that the recent major crackdown of the human trafficking scam by the Department’s Compliance & Investigation Unit involving thirteen Indian national, two Fiji nationals and border control officials is a result of this commitment to their priorities.
This is not the first immigration crime being discovered by the Immigration Department. In the past five years there has been an increase in crimes involving immigration due to many factors such as technology advancement, corruption and outdated immigration policies and laws.
“This increase is calling us as a Department to urgently review Fiji ’s Immigration Data Security System, border security and surveillance and the powers of the Immigration Department to effectively secure Fiji’s borders”.
Some of the changes outlined by the Director include:
In 2010 the Immigration Department is committed to undertaking a detail review of the current Fiji Immigration Data Security System.
The Department aims to establish a firm control and surveillance over Fiji ’s borders to safeguard Fiji and its citizens.
The Department also aims to strengthen its Immigration Border Control Network and work closely with the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Navy and FIRCA and crackdown on illegal immigrants in Fiji and deport and charge any person found breaching Fiji ’s immigration laws.
The Department will search for new technologies to equip our immigration officers at the border control and at the immigration service counters to fight present day modern immigration technology crimes and enhance their abilities to prevent and detect frauds.
Director Immigration
Nemani Vuniwaqa.