There is little available information about the treatment of migrants or asylum seekers in immigration enforcement procedures in Fiji. Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of people have been arrested and charged for breaching laws and regulations on self-isolation, quarantine, or movement restrictions. Prisons have continued to operate throughout the pandemic, and the Red Cross has assisted the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) with donations of hygiene products (body and laundry soap), disinfection material (hand sanitiser, chlorine, and bleach), and PPE (disposable aprons) for use by detainees and prison staff. The UN Development Program has also supported the FCS by providing laptops and data packages so that the service can set up remote conferencing facilities for use by inmates. The small handful of Covid-19 cases that have been detected in the country (32 in total as of 9 September) have largely been amongst arriving passengers. Most recently, several Fijian nationals on a repatriation flight from India tested posted. To date, Fiji has maintained strict travel restrictions for foreigners, and the nationwide curfew imposed in March remains in place.
- Amnesty International, “Amnesty International Report 2017/18 – Fiji”, Amnesty International, 22 February 2018, https://www.refworld.org/country,,,,FJI,,5a9939064,0.html
- Amnesty International, “Pacific Countries Must Not Use COVID-19 To Regress on Human Rights”, Amnesty International, 15 April 2020, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ASA0521442020ENGLISH.pdf
- Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, “September 9th Updates,” Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, 9 September 2020, http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/
- L. Rawalai, “Inmates Reconnect with Families Online,” The Fiji Times, 17 July 2020, https://www.fijitimes.com/inmates-reconnect-with-families-online/
- Xinuanet, “Fiji Reports One More Imported Covid-19 Case,” 8 September 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/08/c_139352688.htm
