Fiji PM warns U.S. deportations pose safety risk to Pacific Islands

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has raised concerns that the mass deportation of criminals from the U.S. could pose a security risk to Pacific Island nations. Speaking in Washington, Rabuka called for better coordination to manage returning offenders with serious convictions.

Rabuka is the first Pacific leader to visit Washington since Donald Trump took office, aiming to highlight regional concerns, including the impact of climate change and U.S. deportation policies.

Hundreds of Pacific Islanders with drug and gang-related convictions are expected to be deported, prompting fears about small communities’ capacity to reintegrate them. Rabuka discussed the issue with Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus chairman Ed Case, urging greater cooperation between U.S. and Pacific law enforcement agencies.

Fiji’s government said it had begun talks with ministries and international law enforcement bodies to mitigate risks associated with the deportations. Rabuka emphasised the need for coordinated measures to ensure returning individuals do not pose threats to local communities.

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was another focus of Rabuka’s visit. Fiji urged the U.S. to reconsider its stance, stressing that Pacific nations bear the brunt of climate change impacts.

Officials from the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia also met with U.S. officials to discuss concerns over Trump’s executive order on undocumented migrants. They warned that legally residing citizens of the Freely Associated States should not be affected by the policy and called for continued funding under existing aid agreements.

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