Fiji Bureau of Statistics Chief Executive Kemueli Naiqama

The Government through the Fiji immigration Department is reviewing Fiji’s primary legislation on migration.

Fiji Bureau of Statistics Chief Executive Kemueli Naiqama says the review includes the immigration act, passport act and citizenship act.

He adds Fiji has ratified some migration-related international conventions.

“Fiji has ratified and adopted most key migration-related international convention. This has been translated into domestic laws.”

The Immigration Act provides the process for migrant workers to apply for permits to allow them to be documented and be employed in Fiji.

Chief of Mission for International Organization for Migration, Solomon Kantha says the annual number of permits has fluctuated from 7,400 in 2013 to nearly 23,500 in 2017.

He adds over the past seven years, one-third of these permits were for visitors.

“In 2019 the permits were issued to nationals of 139 countries. Permits refer to visas. Half were from six countries.15 percent were from China, nine percent from Australia, seven percent from India, the US 6.5 percent, the UK 6.5 and Solomon islands five percent”.

Kantha says more than 3,900 people are estimated to have overstayed their visas between 2013 and 2019.