The Department of Immigration caught and sent back more than 100 overstayers last year.
Director of Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa says there were a total 600 overstayers in Fiji last year.
While making the department’s submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Vuniwaqa said most of the overstayers came into the country under the visitor's visa.
He says the biggest number of overstayers came from the regional countries that have come for studies.
Vuniwaqa says the students are advised and given one month once they come in to go to the Immigration Department and then apply for a student’s visa so that it can be issued to them.
He says most of them do not do this until they have overstayed and they will come with their excuses.
Vuniwaqa says those who have been identified by the Immigration Department had their names advertised and they found out then.
He says they conducted an exercise in 2016 where they identified that there were more than 600 overstayers in the country and the list has now come down to over 200.
Vuniwaqa says for a foreigner on a visitors’ visa, they are only given up to four months under the law and it can be extended by another two months.
He says after six months they have to leave the country and if they wish to re-enter then they can.
