HONIARA (SIBC/PINA) — Solomon Islands states will be able to impose some measures to control internal or inter-state migration and settlement under the proposed state government system.
The State Government Task Force 2001 Report says under the proposal, states will include in their constitutions restrictions barring settlement in other states without following their legal requirements.
The report is part of efforts to address the problems which led to the two years of ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal.
The deadly conflict followed tension caused by the number of people from Malaita Province settling on Guadalcanal, and the reaction of Guadalcanal militants to this.
Guadalcanal is home to the national capital, Honiara.
The report proposes if someone intends to migrate and settle in another state, the person must comply with the laws and regulations imposed by the other state.
The immigrant must also abide by the traditional norms and practices of the localities of that area, the report says. The report, however, acknowledges that Solomon Islands is a party to several international treaties.
Freedom of movement of the individual is a right and that is protected in such treaties. Therefore the report does not propose any change to that.
The report says individuals—Solomon Islanders and foreigners—will continue to have the freedom to move around freely within Solomon Islands.
They will also continue to have the freedom to work anywhere in other states, it says.
