State must retain authority over immigration matters: Salusalu

Immigration control is a core sovereign responsibility of the State and must remain central to national security, public order and border protection, the Ministry of Immigration has told the Constitution Review Commission.

Immigration Ministry permanent secretary Aliki Salusalu made the submission during a consultation in Suva yesterday.

He stressed that non‑citizens do not have an inherent constitutional right to enter or remain in Fiji unlawfully.

Mr Salusalu said the State must retain clear authority to regulate the entry, residence, detention and removal of non‑citizens, adding that immigration enforcement actions, including deportation, should be treated as administrative rather than criminal processes.

He said constitutional clarity was needed to ensure Fiji’s immigration framework aligned with its international obligations, including conventions on refugees, labour mobility, transnational organised crime and international aviation standards.

Mr Salusalu also highlighted growing challenges faced by authorities, including human trafficking, labour exploitation, document fraud and other forms of transnational crime, which he said required stronger legal and operational mechanisms.

While fundamental rights remained important, Mr Salusalu said they must operate within lawful limitations, particularly where national security, border protection and public order were concerned.