The Director of Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa said the idea to take immigration services closer to the people overseas arose when teams from the Elections Office travelled to Australia to register Fijians for the September general election.
Vuniwaqa said many Fijians who wanted to exercise their vote had passports which had expired and were barred from being able to register.
He said there were a lot of disappointed people.
Vuniwaqa revealed that these people who live in the western suburbs of Sydney often find it difficult to travel to North Sydney, where the Fijian Consulate is, because of work and family commitments.
The Immigration Director said it is disappointing that some politicians in Fiji have turned the mission into a political football.
Vuniwaqa said this is not a waste of resources and this is about giving people what they need to take part in the political process in Fiji.
He said the mission had come at the request of Fijians living in Australia of all political persuasions.
Vuniwaqa stressed that it is naturally up to the people who they vote for, and the Immigration Department is merely giving them what they need to have their say and take part in our new democracy, rather than being excluded because they don’t have the opportunity to travel to the Fijian Consulate or High Commission.
The visiting immigration team from Fiji is beginning two days of community consultations in Sydney in which members of the Fijian community in Australia can have their passports renewed and receive other services closer to where they live.
Meanwhile, Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry is against this idea.
Chaudhry said his stand is that this is almost like selling Fijian passports.
They will also raise the matter with the Electoral Commission.
