West Papuan refugees become PNG citizens

11:32 am on 12 April 2017

About 150 West Papuans received their Papua New Guinea citizenship in Kiunga, Western Province this week.

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Photo: RNZI

This came after many of the refugees had been living in PNG for more than 40 years.

They had fled across the border because they feared persecution by the Indonesian security forces.

The PNG One website quoted the acting chief migration officer Solomon Kantha as saying the new citizens would be able to vote in the June general elections once they were entered on the Common Roll.

The website reported the refugees were able to get citizenship after a government move in 2014 to allow them to forego the $US3100 citizenship application fee that was normally required.