VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSV #0386/01 2732101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302101Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1475
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 0366

UNCLAS SUVA 000386 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP; CA/VO/KCC 
DHS FOR CIS/FDNS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CVIS CMGT CPAS KFRD FJ
SUBJECT: SEMI-ANNUAL COUNTRY FRAUD SUMMARY REPORT - EMBASSY SUVA 
 
REF: 09 STATE 057623 
 
¶1. COUNTRY CONDITIONS 
 
The countries in Suva's diverse consular district (Fiji, Tonga, 
Nauru, Kiribati, and Tuvalu) are small and remote nations with 
struggling economies. Political uncertainty in some of these island 
states contributes to their respective economic instability. 
 
Fiji's military coups, currency devaluation, and continued political 
instability increase local anxiety and the urge to immigrate.  The 
leading industries - tourism, garments, and sugar - continue to 
suffer from the local political situation and the global economic 
climate.  In addition, Government media controls implemented 
following the abrogation of the constitution in April 2009 limit the 
diffusion of unbiased information. 
 
Fiji continues to have a high rate of emigration. Indigenous Fijians 
and Indo-Fijians are establishing a base of distant relatives in the 
U.S. and Canada who provide sponsorship to those looking for better 
economic opportunities. Post has seen an increase in young 
Indo-Fijian families trying to immigrate to the U.S. under NIV 
status and a significant number of applicants transiting the U.S. to 
join families in Canada. The predominant fields for potential 
work/stay risk applicants are home health care, nursing, rugby, and 
security. 
 
The Tongan economy remains negatively impacted by the global 
economic situation and continued political instability following the 
2006 riots. The Tongan economy offers little in new employment 
opportunities. Tonga continues to rely on remittances from relatives 
for revenue. IMF estimates Tonga's remittance receipts equal 40% of 
Tonga's GDP. Another estimate shows 60% of all Tongan households 
have a least one migrant worker abroad and 90% of all households 
receive remittance. Post validation studies support these 
statistics.  Local post research shows over 50% of Tongan NIV 
recipients stayed six months or more. 
 
The Tuvalu, Nauru, and Kiribati economies are reliant on foreign 
aid, fishing licenses, and worker remittances - primarily from 
seafarers working on foreign merchant ships. 
 
¶2. NIV FRAUD 
 
Suva experiences low-level unsophisticated document fraud.  However, 
recent activity in fraudulent student documents and identification 
cards suggests an increasing shrewdness on the part of visa fixers 
and document suppliers.  Fiji immigration found a photo-subbing 
machine on the main island of Viti Levu and suspect another 
photo-sub machine is still in Fiji. 
 
Fiji immigration reports increasing numbers of young Pakistani 
adults entering Nadi, Fiji for English lessons at a private 
institution called Freebird Language Institution. Freebird's 
brochure states that the students can obtain Fijian passports after 
three months at the school.  Recently, Post's RSO and AFU worked 
with Fiji Immigration to ensure 52 Pakistani students would not use 
Fiji as a jumping point to the United States.  Fiji immigration now 
pays closer attention to Pakistani students entering Fiji.  As of 
September 2009, Fijian officials deported 16 Pakistani students. 
 
Post continues to have problems with Tongan groups (dancing groups, 
rugby groups, mission groups, etc.) and has implemented procedures 
to combat related fraud. Even though post issues explicit 
instructions on applying as a group on our website, group organizers 
still allow additional group members who might not belong to or 
support the group's core function to apply under the auspices of the 
group for a visa. 
 
Some of the Kiribati seamen have submitted new passports with 
different names/birthdates. An i-Kiribati seaman recently tried to 
use his brother's passport to obtain a C1/D visa. There have also 
been some limited cases of Tuvaluan and i-Kiribati seamen being 
returned to their respective countries for possession of controlled 
substances. 
 
Post hosted the Carrier Liaison Program in September of 2008 (see 
January 2009 State Magazine, page 7). The program focused on 
detecting fraudulent travel documentation and imposters. Fijian, 
i-Kiribati and Tongan immigration and customs officers attended the 
training along with Fiji Air Terminal Services, Air Pacific, New 
Zealand High Commission and French Embassy staff. Over 150 people 
attended daily sessions over a period of a week. All attendees were 
grateful for the training and post still receives positive stories 
about how the training has helped with passenger boarding in one 
form or another. 
 
¶3. IV FRAUD 
 
Post encounters only low-level fraud in IV. Post accepts and 
adjudicates about ten local CR/IR petitions each year, mostly for 
spouses of American citizens. Such cases are carefully reviewed for 
possible marriage fraud. The distance between islands in the 
consular district and Post's limited resources make it difficult to 
conduct on-site investigations of marriage fraud. 
 
Another type of IV fraud is the occasional principal applicant 
attempting to add a child as their own in family preference-based 
petitions as an "adopted" child. 
 
¶4. DV FRAUD 
 
Post encounters some fraud in this area relating to academic 
achievements, professional skills, and work experience. Post uses 
local contacts to verify suspect documentation. Post has encountered 
no serious fraud concerns to date. 
 
¶5. ACS AND U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD 
 
ACS fraud is not encountered in the district save for the rare 
fraudulent attempt via a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) 
application to transmit citizenship in order to bypass the immigrant 
visa process of a step child or adopted child. 
 
 
¶6. ADOPTION FRAUD 
 
Although this is not an area of particular concern, post does 
encounter the occasional case of a naturalized citizen, unfamiliar 
with U.S. adoption laws, trying to adopt a child of a family member, 
primarily for economic/educational purposes. 
 
¶7. USE OF DNA TESTING 
 
Post has very few cases requiring relationship proof. 
 
¶8. ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFITS FRAUD 
 
Post has not had a fraudulent case related to visas 92/93 cases. 
Some difficulties arise when interviewing family members of asylees 
who were granted status in the United States following local coups 
in Fiji. 
 
¶9. ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL 
 
Post does encounter some fraudulent document production - 
predominately of support documentation, not travel (e.g. boarding 
passes) documentation. Typically, fraudulent documentation is 
submitted to support the applications of children whose parents are 
working illegally in the United States. Qualified relatives then 
take the children to the parents. Currently, Tongan child applicants 
falling into this category outnumber other district countries' child 
applicants in similar situations. 
 
Trafficking is entering the Fiji Islands.  Three border control 
officials working for the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority 
(FIRCA) were detained and are under investigation for their alleged 
involvement in a human trafficking scheme.  The officials were 
logging into immigration computers and entering data of Indian 
nationals who entered the country illegally.  The corrupt practice 
continued for some time as the Indian nationals remained in Fiji and 
information continued to be logged in that they were going in and 
out of the country.  The scheme involved luring Indian nationals 
into Fiji for better jobs in return for thousands of dollars.  The 
participants include a group in India, a company in Fiji, and some 
local officials.  Thus far 3 local officials and 13 illegal Indian 
nationals have been detained.  The illegal aliens are now assisting 
the police and immigration officials apprehend the others involved. 
 
 
Continental Airlines will begin flights from Guam to Nadi, Fiji in 
December 2009. These flights will connect the regional hub of 
Micronesia (Guam) with the regional hub for Melanesia and Polynesia 
(Nadi).  Flights from Nadi to Hong Kong are also due to begin in 
December 2009. 
 
The addition of the Guam-Nadi link will make it significantly easier 
for travelers to move between Micronesia and the rest of the Pacific 
region. Nadi and Guam could be used as transit points to allow 
quicker and more direct travel between Micronesia and 
Polynesia/Melanesia. While this route will be appreciated by 
legitimate tourists and business travelers, it also presents 
opportunities to people smuggling/trafficking syndicates in the 
region.  Until now it has been difficult for the syndicates 
organizing such enterprises to ply their trade between different 
parts of the Pacific due to a lack of easy access. The new flights 
are likely to be tested by traffickers and smugglers in both regions 
to further extend their operations. 
 
Currently, the most significant route for illegal immigration into 
Fiji (and onwards to the wider South Pacific) has been the Korean 
Air flight from Seoul's Incheon Airport to Nadi. The introduction of 
flights from Guam to Nadi and Air Pacific's new route from Hong Kong 
to Nadi (both beginning in December) make the region much more 
accessible from Asia and are likely to pose increased risks to not 
only Fiji, but the wider Pacific region. 
 
Should illegal immigration syndicates be successful in moving 
trafficked workers from Micronesia to Fiji or other Polynesian or 
Melanesian countries, it is likely that attempts will be made to 
facilitate secondary movement to New Zealand. This could be done 
through either visa case-load fraud, or through the use of false 
visa free passports. Given that most of the victims of people 
trafficking in Micronesia have been of east-Asian ethnicity, the 
visa free passports of Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea 
are the most likely candidates for fraudulent use. 
 
¶10. DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS 
 
Post has very few referred cases. Since Suva is a small post, the 
consular fraud manager follows up with the RSO directly. 
 
¶11. HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY 
 
Fiji issues machine readable passports, but the passports do not 
contain biometric information. Since Fiji has two "registrars" - one 
national and one tribal (for indigenous Fijians) - it is possible to 
get a new birth certificate from the tribal registrar to obtain a 
new birth certificate from the national registrar to get a new 
Fijian passport. Only Fiji Immigration in Suva can issue full 
validity Fijian passports. A recent discussion with the Fiji 
Immigration Director revealed Fiji's plans to make it's passports 
more secure with a new design. The new design includes a digital 
photo, machine readable bio information and other anti-fraud 
devices. Fiji immigration hopes to obtain funds to implement the 
design change soon. 
 
Fiji replacement (emergency) passports are usually issued for 
limited validity. Emergency passports are limited in duration and 
may be limited to one-way travel back to Fiji.  Per ALDAC 067353, 
Fijian emergency passports are not authorized for visa issuance due 
to a lack of security.  Fiji issues an emergency document called a 
Certificate of Identity (CI) with very basic information and a 
picture. Although the CI would allow a citizen of Fiji to board a 
flight to return to Fiji, it is not a document accepted for visa 
issuance by the United States.  The CI lacks integrity due to poor 
security features.  The document is produced using ordinary bond 
paper and issued manually (hand-written).  The photo is glued on 
(easy photo substitution), and the control number on the biodata 
page is handwritten (number comes from the front cover).  Two wet 
seals, easily counterfeited, are placed on the photo and on page 6 
"endorsement/ observations."  Although the INA does not contain 
passport security requirements, it defines a passport as a document 
issued by a competent authority that shows the bearer's origin, 
identity, and nationality (see INA section 101(a)(30)).  In light of 
the lack of security features of the CIs, a consular officer cannot 
be confident a CI originated from a competent issuing authority. 
Furthermore, since the CI lacks basic, necessary security features 
and can easily be counterfeited, it does not credibly establish the 
bearer's origin, identity, or nationality. 
 
¶12. COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
 
Post enjoys excellent cooperation with host governments in our 
consular district in all consular matters. The Embassy maintains and 
develops its working relationships through regular outreach, sharing 
of fraud information, and anti-fraud training programs at airports. 
A quarterly anti-fraud round table meeting involving the diplomatic 
community allows exchange of information about the fraud trends seen 
by other foreign missions. 
 
¶13. AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
 
Economic conditions and political uncertainties in our consular 
district will continue to be an influential factor for NIV 
applicants. Post has seen an increase in the number of Fijian female 
NIV applicants who have no funds trying to get to California to work 
in home health care. 
 
Embassy Suva will begin a Laptop Non-Immigrant Visa (LNIV) program 
in Tonga late 2009.  While the implementation of the program will 
provide valid benefits, it will also remove barriers that prevented 
unqualified applicants from attempting entry into the United States. 
 After initial implementation, Post anticipates a rise in 
applications and fraudulent attempts to gain entry from Tonga.  The 
anticipated increase will most likely come as a result of decreased 
cost and time necessary to apply for a NIV since applicants no 
longer need to spend the time and money necessary to travel to 
Fiji. 
Fiji does not require Chinese nationals to have visas or prior 
approval for entry into Fiji.  With the increase in flights between 
Fiji and other East Asian countries, post expects there may be an 
increase in the number of Chinese or Filipino nationals attempting 
to transit Fiji and other South Pacific countries on false visa-free 
passports in the medium to long term. 
 
¶14. STAFFING AND TRAINING 
 
The consular section at Embassy Suva is composed two full-time 
consular officers and one part-time consular officer.  The section 
is supported by nine locally engaged staff.  At the time of this 
report there is one vacancy in the office for a Consular Visa Clerk. 
 All three Foreign Service Officers working in the Consular Section 
arrived in August, 2009. 
 
PRUETT