NEC approves funds to probe ‘illegals’

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday 30th January 2012

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE National Executive Council has approved K4 million to investigate and weed out illegal foreigners and paedophiles living in Papua New Guinea, Health Minister Jamie Maxtone-Graham says.
He said the investigation teams would consist of officers from the departments of Justice and Attorney-General, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, police, National Intelligence Office, Customs and Internal Revenue Commission.
He said the task force team would work with the Task Force Sweep team and start deporting foreigners living and working illegally.
Maxtone-Graham said the task force would clean up the departments of Foreign Affairs and Immigration as part of the exercise.
He said the Immigration Department had already suspended eight officers for allegedly being involved in illegal deals with foreigners.
Maxtone-Graham said the move was not to remove foreigners but it an exercise to protect and safe guards PNG citizens from illegal exploitation.
He said all foreigners who came to live and work had to follow the laws of the land.
 “Any foreigner who does not follow the laws of the country has to go back to their country,” he said.
He said there were many paedophiles living, abusing and destroying the lives of young people.
“These are dangerous animals and they need to be removed immediately … that is why the government has allocated K4 million for the task of clean sweeping illegal people living here by firstly investigating them thoroughly.