Most asylum seekers to NZ come from Fiji

Transcript

No Pacific island country produces more asylum seekers in New Zealand than Fiji.  

Immigration figures for last year also show Fijians lodged more asylum applications than other nationality for the fifth time in ten years.

Bridget Grace reports.

28 Fijians applied for refugee status in New Zealand last year, and eight were approved, the highest number of approvals since the coup in 2006. Former businessowner, Frank Robanakadavu, fled in 2009, after being threatened by the regime leader Frank Bainimarama's forces.  

FRANK ROBANAKADAVU: They had actually contacted me and they were threatening me.  At that moment I was just worried more about my family's life and if I was going to be killed. When we arrived here that's when actually things start to dawn on us, on how we were going to look at the avenues of trying to seek asylum in New Zealand.  

He says it took three years for his refugee status to be approved. Canterbury University Professor Steven Ratuva, who specialises in Pacific studies, says figures have been high since the last coup in 2006.

STEVEN RATUVA: Particularly in relation to the political situation in Fiji at that time.  From 2006 there was a political restriction, there was abuse of human rights by the security forces. A lot of people who lived overseas and who were supposed to go back to Fiji remained.  

Mr Ratuva says since the 2014 election, the relationship between Fiji and New Zealand has normalised. He says as it takes a long time to process claims, it is difficult to determine when a person applied for asylum, and applicants vary from genuine ones to overstayers.  In the last five years, Immigration New Zealand received 193 claims from the Pacific Islanders - 84 percent of those were from Fijians. The reason for claims can vary, and one New Zealand immigration lawyer says domestic violence is the basis for a lot of Fijian claims. A lawyer working in Fiji, Aman Ravindra-Singh, says insecurity in Fiji is now entrenched.  

AMAN RAVINDRA-SINGH: The climate of fear which has existed since 2006 is still the same. People face trumped up charges simply because, if they show opposition. There have been some deaths, numerous amounts of people who are badly beaten, brutalised, tortured. And this is what a regime does to gain full control over its population.

He says since the elections in 2014, the government has only consolidated its power. The Chair of the Fiji Human Rights Commission, Mohammed Ajmeer, flatly denies that any 'climate of fear' exists.

MOHAMMED AJMEER: We have received no single complaint of climate of fear.  People are moving around freely in Fiji.  They have freedom expression guaranteed under the constitution.  And there is no suppression of opposition.  So simply we deny this statement, that the people are frightened in Fiji.

He says his commission has received no claims of torture or violation of human rights and if it did so, it would investigate the matter. A lawyer and opposition MP, Tupou Draunidalo, says the commission is a government institution and she's not surprised that people aren't comfortable submitting complaints. She says it's understandable that people want to leave for a better life.  

TUPOU DRAUNIDALO: They just want to live in a country, the basics are there, the rule of law is there, they know if they have a problem they can report it to the Police and it will be investigated.  The Police or the Military forces will not be torturing them. And those things, you know, are taken for granted in New Zealand which is three hours away on the plane, Australia four hours, but living here it's a real big problem.

Ms Draunidalo says she's only surprised that the number of applications received by New Zealand isn't higher.