Illegal settlers sent home

The National Main Stories

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
AN exercise by the West New Britain government started on Monday to evict 225 people and repatriate them back to their provinces.
According to the provincial government, the exercise came about after the National Court in Bialla handed the verdict of eviction on May 19.
Eviction notices were issued to people living on State land in 2009 by the provincial government.
The people living on the State land took court action against the provincial government with the first case in 2009 and the second in 2014.
The final decision was handed down at the Bialla National Court on May 19.
The provincial government said it was now implementing the court order.
A total of 97 people, including children, were the first group to be repatriated back to their home provinces on MV Ialibu on Monday.
They are part of the 225 people on the list residing illegally on state land known as Section 21 in Bialla.
The settlers were from Morobe, Sepik, Madang and the Highlands provinces.
The province’s eviction committee arranged transport to pick the settlers on arrival in Lae to transport them to their respective destinations.
The court ordered the provincial government (defendant) to start repatriating the settlers (plaintiffs) back to their provinces of origin following consent by both parties.
Phase one includes arrangements for the eviction that have been completed and the second phase is the repatriation which began this week.
Five trips have been confirmed for this month to Lae, and one to Wewak, on ships MV Ialibu and MV Morobe for settlers living on state land at Section 21, Batbat and Cherries.
All plaintiffs will be compensated and the cost of their repatriation will be met by the WNB government in order for them to resettle back into their provinces.
Letters were sent to Chimbu, Morobe, Madang, East and West Sepik governments informing them of the arrival of their people.
Police in the receiving provinces and the main transit point in Lae have also been informed about the repatriation of settlers and asked to assist where needed.
Meanwhile, four schools in Kimbe town – Karl Hesse Primary, Harrison Primary, Kimbe Secondary and Kimbe International School have suspended classes in light of the repatriation exercise.

13 comments

  • Yes, that’s also true here in Alotau, Milne Bay Province. Please arrange the same method for Milne Bay province & move out all the illegal settlers.
    This is also the main cause of the recent violence taking place here in Alotau town.

    I don’t think the court order is mandatory from the people against the state because a lot of those people are liars & criminals. Who knows, maybe most of them caused problems in their own provinces & are hiding in another province, trying to avoid penalties of some sort.

    Just send them all home, they are wasting their time in another province causing problems. Unless you’re a student/working class person, its understandable.

    concerned citizen
    Alotau

    • Not all of us. The main Reason for Poverty and Squatter settlements is poor governance. Stop Pointing the your finger and get up and be the Change you want to see.

  • Yep, send them all back. Do the same in NCDC too.
    West New Britain Government, you have done well.

  • All other provincial governments should learn from this and implement eviction and repatriation exercises in their respective provinces. Thumbs up to WNB Province and their Governor.

  • This is a great, fair, reasonable, equitable and considerable order of the court. Those repatriants should not complain because the WNB Provincial Government and the state have done everything necessary to take and settle them back in there respective provinces. They should deserve.

    • Is it an Eviction or Repatriation. Label it correctly. This people are aware of there decision. Kain olsem.

  • My personal view is that this is a gross breach of every citizen’s Constitutional right to freedom in PNG regardless of where one comes from in PNG. We all are PNGeans and our provincial governments must find ways and means to settle people as they can within their powers and authority. Settlers contribute to the economy of every province and should not be judged and penalized for actions of a few rotten apples who are hell bend on criminal activities.

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