The President of the Efate Council of Chiefs in Vanuatu says he is worried overcrowding in the capital is leading to increased lawlessness.
Last month a man and a young woman were killed in separate incidents in Port Vila, which Chief Kalkot Murmur says could be linked to alcohol and drug abuse.
Chief Murmur says police recently introduced limits on the sale of alcohol at the weekend, which he believes has been effective.
He says before independence 33 years ago, which was observed last month, the town centre was quiet apart from the Christmas period.
But he says urban migration has given birth to issues such as unemployment and increased crime.
"I think a lot of people in town today, they would go into the shops and steal and raping and all these things happening. I think it's everywhere in Port Vila now."
Chief Kalkot Murmur says limits on the sale of alcohol and a greater police presence in Port Vila can help to reduce the incidence of crime.
