Border control: Radrodro
Opposition member Salote Radrodro’s motion to improve border control and awareness campaigns to decrease human trafficking was defeated 32 votes to 14 yesterday in Parliament. Ms Radrodro said Fiji was rated Tier Two in the trafficking of citizens according to the 2014 report from the United States Trafficking Department. “One of the reasons we have these traces of human trafficking in the country is because of our weak border control; Fiji has very liberal visa arrangements where 132 countries can come into Fiji without a visa,” she said.
“Fiji’s role as a transportation hub maybe potential carrier of human trafficking; the first human trafficking incident was brought forward by the State which was the same year the crimes decree came into force and which introduced Fiji’s anti human trafficking law,” she said. Mrs Radrodro said Fiji would be a better nation as far as human trafficking was concerned by following practices in countries like Australia and New Zealand with other Asian countries. “I would urge Government to get practices from countries like Australia and New Zealand with other Asian countries; know how they investigate, prosecute trafficking offences and convicts and punish traffickers,” she said. Mrs Radrodro requested that Parliament construct strategies that looked to creating awareness on human trafficking. Opposition MP Josefa Dulakiverata said human trafficking was a serious problem around the world and not in Fiji alone.
“A country that protects its sovereignty and citizens is one that protects its border,” he said.
Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration, Timoci Natuva opposed the motion and said Government had comprehensive trafficking laws in place. “A crime decree that defines human trafficking as a crime and past three years Government had conducted anti trafficking training for enforcement in Fiji and they attended courses overseas. “We also engaged the media in identifying the issues; there was also a successful human trafficking issue in 2010. “I want to emphasise that there are strategies by Government to raise the issue and we are not lying idle,” he said. Edited by Rusiate Mataika