Pictured is Deputy Prime Minister and minister for Immigration’s, John Rosso. FILE PICTURE
By: Samantha Solomon
Good number of Papua New Guineans professionals are migrating out of the country to find better education and employment opportunities has prompted Governor for Enga Peter Ipatas to asked if the Government could allow for them to come back to the country freely and not being rejected by
the Dual Citizenship Act.
He raised this question without notice to the Minister for Immigration’s and the Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso in Parliament today. Governor Ipatas says ´when we passed the law in relation to dual citizenship we have actually discriminated these Papua New Guinean, even though they are citizens of other countries they still have land here, families here they are Papua New Guineans. Governor Ipatas added that if they apply to come back to PNG or do business the law should be flexible because we need investors in this country.
He further went on to ask Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso to look into the Dual Citizenship act and see how they can come back or get some sort of special treatments to them.
In response Minister responsible for immigration John Rosso assured the Governor that these concerns have been raised by many people and advice that Immigration is already working on this amendment to become a legislation.
Rosso further elaborated that this work has been done working in cohesion the first legislative council to ensure that they open up and make it easier, accessible and more flexible For Papua New Guineans citizens who are professionals working and studying abroad that are force to do by virtue of the work and have been asked to forgo their PNG citizenship.
He gave assurance to the dual citizenship holders that by the end of this year he should bring it to the floor of parliament and the amendments will be made. The current prescribed countries for dual citizenships are Australia, Fiji, Germany, New Zealand, Samoa, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vanuatu.
