Fiji Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry has called for the deportation order against USP Vice Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia and his wife to be rescinded and for them to be allowed back into the country while the Fijian government says Aluwahlia and his partner were ordered to leave Fiji with immediate effect following continuous breaches by both individuals of Section 13 of the Immigration Act.
Chaudhry says they strongly condemn the high handed manner in which Ahluwalia and his wife were arrested and deported.
He says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama must explain to a horrified nation, and the international community, why Ahluwalia had to be deported in this outrageous manner.
Chaudhry adds by no stretch of the imagination can Ahluwalia be considered to have “conducted himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of Fiji ” as stated in his deportation order.
He says in fact Ahluwalia stood for human rights, good governance and public morality when he exposed corrupt elements within the USP who were enriching themselves at the expense of the university adding that Ahluwalia was regarded as a role model and held in high esteem.
Chaudhry says Ahluwalia’s deportation was in fact a well-timed move to pre-empt a USP Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow which was to have decided the fate of the anti-VC elements within USP.
He adds he expects the USP Council to take a strong stance against what he terms a Gestapo-style behavior by the Fiji authorities.
Chaudhry says he also calls on Fiji’s development partners and the international community to take note of the despotic behavior of the Fijian government and strongly denounce such violations of human rights here.
In a statement the government says that under Section 13 of the Immigration Act 2003, no foreigner is permitted to conduct themselves in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security, or good government of Fiji.
The government statement says Ahluwahlia and Price were foreign citizens in Fiji on work permits.
It says after repeated breaches by both individuals of the provisions of Section 13 of the Immigration Act, their actions have clearly violated the terms of their work permits, resulting in their subsequent deportation.
The government says similar criteria have been applied to other foreign nationals in Fiji in the past and, as a sovereign nation, Fiji will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards any breaches of its immigration law.
It says there are thousands of foreign citizens on work permits in Fiji who conduct themselves and their business in line with the requirements of the Immigration Act while making invaluable contributions to Fiji's socio-economic development.
The government further says following recent amendments to Fiji's Immigration Act, foreign nationals can work and do business in Fiji more easily than ever, and Fiji will continue to welcome foreign nationals whose contributions, experience, and investments enrich the lives of the Fijian people.
