Children born in Fiji automatically receive citizenship without requiring authorization from the Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua. This statement comes from Grace Road Group in response to the Ministry’s declaration regarding the “unauthorized” issuance of Fiji passports for a child of two members of the Grace Road Church.
On Thursday, Mr. Tikoduadua announced an investigation to determine how the child was granted a Fiji passport, which enabled the father to leave the country with both the child and her sibling. The children’s mother provided insights, indicating that she and her husband came from Korea with their eldest child around eight years ago and that the four-year-old was born at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.
She mentioned that the child had not been registered in Fiji throughout her four years of life. The mother also disclosed her escape from Grace Road Group’s True Mart in Navua, where she alleged she endured eight years of “slavery” with the organization.
Grace Road Group emphasized that the issuance of passports to citizens is a right protected under Section 6 of the Citizenship of Fiji Act 2009, which grants citizenship to children born in Fiji. They asserted that the father complied with the necessary process to obtain the passport for his younger child and maintained that the older child possesses a Korean passport.
Furthermore, Grace Road Group questioned the timing of the ministry’s announcement, suggesting it was intended to distract from the case involving their president, which is currently pending in the High Court. Inquiries have been directed to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration for clarification.
This situation highlights the complexities involved in citizenship laws and immigration processes, particularly concerning individual rights and government oversight. It is hopeful that this case will bring forth better clarity and policies surrounding citizenship in Fiji, ultimately ensuring that all children’s rights are recognized and upheld.
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