House committee gets an earful at Immigration board confirmation

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The House of Representatives on Friday unanimously approved Fanene Edda Wyberski to continue her service on the Immigration Board. The decision followed a confirmation hearing for Fanene, led by Rep. Vailoata E. Amituana’i, vice chairman of the House Immigration Judiciary committee.

On a motion by Vice Speaker Fetu Fetui, the vote was by a show of hands with all 13 faipule present endorsing Fanene, who is currently chair of the Immigration Board.

A new nominee for the board, Samu Tusitala, didn’t attend the confirmation hearing as he was sick. The House Legal Affairs Committee says it will hold a confirmation hearing for him at a later date then take a vote.

The confirmation hearing for Fanene was conducted by Vice Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee Rep. Vailoata Amituanai as the chair Rep. Vaegasi Tu’umolimoli is a member of the Immigration aboard representing the House of Representatives.

HOUSE HEARING

The chair of the Immigration Board for the last few years, Fanene says the amnesty program that was offered last year was both good and bad.

At her confirmation hearing before the House of Representatives last week, Fanene said the majority of those who applied for amnesty so they could remain here legally were Asians, and not people from Samoa and other neighboring islands.

She explained that the amnesty program was implemented by the Immigration Division and Attorney General’s Office and not the Immigration Board. All the applicants needed was a local sponsor.

Fanene said they were surprised with the sheer number of people of Asian descent who applied for the amnesty, especially when the borders were closed and there were no flights.

“We were puzzled as to how so many Asians entered the territory when borders were closed. We also wondered how so many were able to qualify for the amnesty program,” she told the hearing.

Fanene said now many of the Asians who were granted amnesty are coming before the Immigration Board seeking a change in sponsorship and they carry affidavits saying their sponsors have left the island.

She testified that while the main aim of the amnesty program was to help undocumented aliens from Samoa and neighboring islands, it was the Asians who benefitted.

Vice Speaker of the House, Hon. Fetu Fetui Jr questioned the relationship between the board and the Immigration office for the last four years. He wanted to know whether there’s any conflict between the two parties when it comes to decision making.

Fanene said that there were challenges the board faced, noting that there were times that some issues the board has authority over did not come before the board for approval.

She explained that applications for transfer of sponsorship and approval of renewal should come before the board for verification and approval. However, some of these applications did not make it to the board. Somebody filled in some of the applications and approved them without the board’s knowledge. (She did not name ‘names’.)