Population figures
Total country population
943,072
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
15
Asylum-seekers:
15
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Fiji is an island nation situated in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand and east of Australia. It shares maritime boundaries with several Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.
The country is a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. However, it has not acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Fiji has also ratified major human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2018.
...The Immigration Act 2003 provides an extensive legal framework for refugee status determination (RSD) in Fiji. While the number of asylum seekers and refugees in the country is relatively small, Fiji plays a significant role in the Pacific region's refugee protection landscape. The Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, host more than 11,800 persons of concern, with the majority residing in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Asylum seekers and refugees in Fiji primarily reside in urban areas, integrating into local communities rather than living in designated camps or settlements. The country does not have a formal refugee camp infrastructure. The impact of new arrivals is significant at both operational and policy levels due to other pressing priorities, which constrain resources to respond to asylum seeker, refugee, and statelessness issues.
Fiji's nationality laws, specifically the Citizenship of Fiji Decree 2009, contain provisions aimed at preventing and reducing statelessness. However, the law does not ensure that a child born on Fijian territory who would otherwise be stateless acquires Fijian nationality either automatically or by registration. This gap highlights the importance of acceding to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness to establish safeguards to prevent statelessness at birth and later in life.
Fiji has a well-established birth registration system. Nevertheless, individuals living in rural and peri-urban centers or on remote islands may face challenges in registering births due to the concentration of registration offices in urban areas. This situation can restrict access to birth registration services for certain populations.
The country's legal framework continues to evolve to address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. Ongoing efforts focus on capacity building and technical advice on protection and solutions, engaging in refugee status determination under mandate or through joint procedures.
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