Police and Immigration officers refuse a Finland Foreign National from entering Solomon Island through SI-PNG border

Officers of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) and Immigration officers have refused a Finland Foreign National for entering Solomon Island (SI) –Papua New Guinea (PNG) border at Shortland Islands on 31 March 2023.

The Finland National entered through the PNG and Indonesia border and did inward clearance at Wutung, PNG Immigration border post on the 8 March 2023.

The person travelled to Port Moresby, boarded a domestic flight to Buka, and travelled to Buin, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

He evaded PNG Immigration border post clearance and attempted to gain entry into Solomon Islands via the SI-PNG Western border.

Deputy Director Immigration, Mr. Christopher Akosawa said the failure to sort out outward clearance by PNG Immigration Authority in Buin and the fact that SI-PNG Western borders meant purposely for traditional inhabitants of Sortland’s and designated communities in and around North West Choiseul for traditional border crossing.

Director Akosawa said under section 13 (1) of the Immigration Act 2012 had refused Finland National’s entry as he failed to meet requirements to grant a visa to reside and stay in Solomon Islands. Kulitanai Border Immigration and Police ordered the unlawful non-citizens out of the country and handed it over to PNG Immigration and law enforcement at Buin Border Poston on 1 April 2023.

“The incident occurred a week after SI Immigration and PNG Immigration Citizenship Authority finalized the draft Border Security Cooperation in Honiara for signing. This has raised serious security concerns for SI immigration and Police for a need for law enforcement interventions protecting each other’s borders,” said Director Akwaawa.

He says, “The good spirit and intention of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster border security cooperation, information sharing and joint border security operations. The MoU will help to strengthen border cooperation to facilitate border trading, traditional border crossing and proper establishment of Immigration border posts with Police on both sides of the borders.”

Mr. Akwasa says, “The success of joint Police and Immigration cooperation in the recent case is the result of the established bilateral cooperation with Police and Immigration Authorities of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands including the strong network created by the Pacific Transnational Organized Crime Coordinating Centre (PTCCC) to protect our citizens and the regional borders against irregular migration and threats that may pose risk to our communities living along our international borders.”

“Acknowledged SI Transnational Organized Crime, Buin Police and Transnational Organized Crime Office, PNG, and Shortland community leaders for their cooperation to remove unlawful citizens out of the country. We requested the border communities to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement helping to keep communities safe and secured at all times,” says the Director.

The Police and Immigration office would like to assure SI-PNG Western border communities that the Immigration reform has prioritized strengthening Immigration staffing for SI-PNG Western borders and thank the Kulitanai and Immigration border post officers for keeping the frontline safer for our country.

Finland Foreign National intended to catch weekly flights from Balalae, Shortlands and travel to Honiara and boarded flights to Port Vila, Vanuatu and onwards to New Caledonia.

PNG Deputy Chief Migration Officer responsible for national border enforcement, Mr. Clarence Parisau responsible for national border enforcement had confirmed receiving the Finland national in Buin and will send him over to Port Moresby for further investigation into his presence and crossing the PNG and SI international borders.