Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the situation with the refugees and the asylum seekers needs to be addressed.
Speaking at the Pacific Protection Programme on Refugees Ministerial Meeting at the Novotel in Nadi, Sayed-Khaiyum says many countries in the world do not know how to address the situation and do not have proper laws and protocols in place.
He says we have a constitution that is very liberal in terms of its application to socio economic, civil and political rights.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the idea is that we need to be able to recognise and start from the issue regarding the dignity of a human being and whoever it may be as they may have some genuine reason as to why they may be seeking asylum or refugee status.
He also raised the issue on what would be the legal status of people who can no longer live in their island and want to move to Fiji due to rising sea levels.
Sayed-Khaiyum says legal issues relating to citizenship and how we treat them also need to be addressed.
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