FINLAND national has refused entry into Solomon Islands through SI/ Papua New Guinea PNG border on March 31 2023.
A statement from the Police revealed the Finland National entered through the PNG and Indonesia border and did inward clearance at Wutung, PNG Immigration border post on the 8 March 2023.
Police said the foreigner travelled to Port Moresby, board a domestic flight to Buka, and then travelled to Buin, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Police also said that the Finland national evades PNG Immigration border post clearance and made attempt to gain entry into Solomon Islands through the SI-PNG Western border.
“The incident occurred a week after SI Immigration and PNG Immigration Citizenship Authority finalized the draft Border Security Cooperation in Honiara for signing. This has raised serious security concerns for SI immigration and Police for a need for law enforcement interventions protecting each other’s borders,” Deputy Director of Immigration Christopher Akosawa said
He said the intention of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to foster border security cooperation, information sharing and joint border security operations and will also help to strengthen border cooperation to facilitate border trading, traditional border crossing and proper establishment of Immigration border posts with Police on both sides of the borders.
Akosawa highlighted the joint Police and Immigration cooperation on the case is the result of strong established bilateral cooperation with Police and Immigration Authorities of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands including the strong network created by the Pacific Transnational Organized Crime Coordinating Centre (PTCCC) to protect citizens and the regional borders against irregular migration and threats that may pose risk to the communities living along the international borders.
“We requested the border communities to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement helping to keep communities safe and secured at all times”, Akosawa said.
The Finland national was refused entry under section 13 (1) of the Immigration Act 2012 for failing to meet requirements to be granted a visa to reside and stay in Solomon Islands.
Akosawa thanked SI Transnational Organized Crime, Buin Police and Transnational Organized Crime Office, PNG, and Shortland community leaders for their cooperation during the incident.
Source: Police
