VC’s deportation seen as ‘damaging’ for Pacific unity

The Fiji government has deported a leading Australian university professor, in a move being described as “dictatorial” and as placing Pacific regionalism in doubt. The manner of his forced deportation has shocked the community, writes Liam Fox for ABC News.

Government officials descended on Pal Ahluwalia’s house on the night of 3 February after declaring the vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific a “prohibited immigrant”, and putting him and his partner Sandra Price on the first flight to Brisbane. The University of the South Pacific is co-owned by 12 small Pacific islands and received significant funding from the Australian government. Ahluwalia has previously revealed the Australian government suspended payments to the university due to mismanagement last year.

In a statement, the Fijian government said Ahluwalia and Price were ordered to leave Fiji after continuous breaches of the Immigration Act. Close observers said the past 24 hours have been “incredibly damaging” for Pacific unity. The deportation comes on the same day as leaders of the Pacific held their annual premier meeting – the Pacific Islands Forum. Pacific leaders were locked in a tense meeting about who should be the region’s next chief diplomat, with the results eventually angering the Federated States of Micronesia.
Full report on the ABC News site