Immigration strain threatens trafficking response

Fiji’s immigration and enforcement officers are under mounting pressure, with limited staff juggling multiple responsibilities at once. In some cases, a single officer is tasked with managing three different portfolios from answering calls and coordinating community meetings to checking on victims. International Organization for Migration Project Coordinator for Trafficking in Persons Sera Raisulu says this strain is undermining the country’s ability to respond effectively to human trafficking cases. “Because we have one person in the immigration that’s dealing with three job portfolios. So, who is picking up the phone, who is driving to the agency community meeting, who is coordinating, who is checking up on the victims. These are real challenges.” Raisulu stresses that more resources and institutional support are urgently needed to strengthen Fiji’s national response. “We understand that there are still existing gaps in terms of consolidating the government as a national statistic, so that it helps modernize the resources of the government, because there is a great need for appropriate resourcing for our government departments and our government agencies to be able to respond effectively to this issue.” Despite these challenges, Fiji is moving faster than many Pacific Island countries in implementing systems to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable. The Immigration Ministry’s Manager Policy and Planning Laisa Satala states work is currently underway at the Ministry to enhance the Ministry’s approach in combating trafficking cases in the country. Authorities emphasize that addressing resource gaps will be critical to ensuring Fiji can continue its progress in tackling human trafficking.