12 Fiji men deported from Australia
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IN 1974, Australia deported 12 Fiji Islanders after they failed to convince immigration officials in Sydney they were there for a holiday and not to work illegally. Officials put the men aboard a Qantas airliner which was leaving Sydney at 9am for Nadi Airport.
The Australian Minister for Immigration, Al Grassby, ordered the deportation after he received a report from officials who interviewed the men.
According to The Fiji Times on Thursday, March 7, 1974, the immigration officials detained the 12, all from the Nadi district, at the beginning of March as soon as they arrived in Sydney with three-month holiday visas.
Officials said the men did not have enough money to support themselves while they were in Australia, which was a requirement under their visa.
The Australian High Commission in Suva told The Fiji Times that a Fiji travel agency, Western Tours Ltd, handled the men’s travel arrangements. However, the agency denied having anything to do with the men’s travel when contacted.
When the 12 men arrived back in Nadi, they dodged reporters who wanted an interview and dashed out of the terminal building.
Fiji Opposition shadow minister for immigration and labour, Apisai Tora, who went to Australia to make representations to Australian authorities on behalf of the men, failed to return to Fiji with them.
A director of a Nadi travel agency, Speedways International, confirmed that his company had issued tickets for the 12 men to go to Australia.
Amrit Lal, the manager of the agency, told The Fiji Times he issued the tickets after Mr Tora went to his office on February 20 with passports and valid Australia visas for 12 people.
Mr Lal said Mr Tora spoke first to the company’s managing director, Hargovind Lodhia, who was receiving medical treatment in New Zealand.
Mr Lal said Mr Lodhia referred Mr Tora to him and Mr Tora asked for tickets for travel by Canadian Pacific Air to Sydney on February 22. The tickets were issued on Alitalia airline paper.
“Apart from Air Pacific paper, this is the only one we use,” Mr Lal said.
He said Mr Tora asked him to charge the cost of the 12 tickets to his (Mr Tora) account.
Mr Lal said Mr Tora had an account with Speedways International “for quite a few years”.
“But this is the first time he has booked tickets on international flights with us,” Mr Lal said.