Govt to conduct cleanup of illegals: PM

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, April 10, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has told parliament on Wednesday or the Government’s decision to clean out an influx of foreigners in the country illegally.

He said the inter-department operation would take place in every district across the country as a means to protect the interests of citizens in the country in terms of both business and employment opportunities that were been taken up by foreigners as of date.

“Since 2000, somehow, there has been an influx of illegal migration into PNG of foreign citizens who are now into many of our communities throughout the country,” the prime minister said.

“That was because some of our systems were weak- some of our people’s bureaucracy and the systems were compromised, and as a result, people who should have not been allowed to migrate to PNG have migrated.”

“We have now virtually adopted them into our communities and they are now doing businesses that our people should be doing.”

O’Neill said it was time the Government stopped them- saying that it is not the kind of migration that his government wanted to promote.

“We are promoting investments- big investments that will create jobs for Papua New Guineans, create wealth for Papua New Guineans.”

“As a result, our government is now putting an inter-departmental team that will visit every district, every province making sure people have the right documentation and they have the right to be here.”

“We must start the cleaning process. The foreign affairs ministry will be leading that but it is important because in many cases they are taking away jobs from our people that they should be doing.”