Bogus stories continue to circulate about changes to US immigration policy affecting Pacific Islanders.
And now unsubstantiated reports about mass arrests of Tongans in the US are also circulating.
The U.S. Embassy in Fiji said it was aware of the websites alleging that the United States had changed travel regulations for Fijians and Tongans.
However, the embassy told Kaniva News the information was false.
The claims about changes to immigration policy were picked up and circulated widely on the internet.
The reports were unsourced and gave no contact details.
Stories about mass arrests of Tongan migrants in the US and possible deportations have also been circulating.
Like the other stories, they are unsourced and in some cases the websites pretend to be associated with the BBC.
One site claimed 831 Tongans had been deported in last week’s raids on illegal migrants in the US.
However, this number is higher than the total number of 680 arrests reported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Kaniva News is waiting for confirmation from ICE of whether any Tongans were arrested.
In the 2016 fiscal year a total of 16 Tongans were deported from the US by immigration authorities
The main points
- Bogus stories continue to circulate about changes to US immigration policy affecting Pacific Islanders.
- And now unsubstantiated reports about deportations of Tongans from the US are also circulating.
- The US embassy in Fiji has confirmed that the reports are false.
- There have now been unverified claims that hundreds of Tongans were arrested in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raids.
For more information
US embassy denies Tongan nationals allowed visa-free entry to United States
FAKATOKANGAʻI ANGE: ʻOku ʻikai ngofua ke hiki ʻa e ongoongó ni ʻo toe pulusi ʻi ha feituʻu kehe hangē ko hano cut and paste ʻo pulusi ʻi he Feisipuká. Kātaki ka ʻokú ke fie ʻave ongoongó ni ki he mītia fakasōsialé ngāueʻaki pe ʻa e share button ʻa e Feisipuká. ʻOku mau ʻamanaki ʻe fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻa e fakatokangá ni.
Kei lahi pe lipooti ʻikai moʻoni kuo tuku mai hili ia ha ngaahi lipooti loi pehē kuo liliu tokua e tu’utu’uni ngāue fakaʻimikuleisini ʻa ʻAmeliká.
ʻOku kei hokohoko atu pe hono tufaki e ngaahi fakamatala loi tokua kuo liliu e fokotuʻutuʻu ngāue ʻa e Puleʻanga Fakatahataha ʻAmeliká ki heʻene ngaahi meʻa fakaʻimikuleisiní ʻo uesia ai ʻa e kakai ʻotu motu Pasifikí.
Pea kuo ʻi ai ʻeni mo ha ngaahi līpooti taʻelava ke fakamoʻoniʻi ʻo pehē kuo toki puke ha kakai Tonga tokolahi ʻi ʻAmelika.
Kuo pehē mei he ʻōfisi ʻemipasī ʻAmelika ʻi Fisí ki he Kanivá kuo nau fakatokangaʻi ʻa e ngaahi fakamatala kuo vilo holo ko ʻeni pea ʻoku taʻemoʻoni kotoa ia.
ʻOku teʻeki liliu ʻe ʻAmelika ʻene tuʻutuʻuni ki he ngaahi meʻa fakaʻimikuleisini ki ʻAmelika ʻa e kakai ʻotu motu Pasifikí talu e hū hake ʻa Palesiteni Donald Trump, ko e lau ia ʻa e ʻemipasií.
Ne ʻuluaki tuku mai ha fakamatala taʻemoʻoni ʻo pehē ko e toko 100 pe ʻoku tali ʻe ʻAmelika ke folau ange mei Fisí.
Hoko mai ai ki ha toe fakamatala taʻemoʻoni pehē tokua kuo tali ʻe ʻAmelika ke foaki ki Tonga ha folau taʻevisa ki ʻAmelika ʻaho ʻe 30.
Pea ko e fakamuimui ʻeni ko e pehē ne puke toko 831 Tonga he uike kuo ʻosí ʻi ʻAmelika.
ʻOku loi kotoa ʻeni fakatatau ki he ʻemipasī ʻi Fisí pea ko e fika ia ko ʻeni ʻoku tokolahi ange ia he kakai fakalūkufua kuo puke ʻi ʻAmelika he ngaahi meʻa fakaʻimikuleisiní he taimi nounou pe ko ʻeni kuo hoko hake ai ʻa Trump ʻo taki he fonuá.
ʻI he 2016 ko e toko 16 Tonga pe ne puke tuʻunga he ngaahi meʻa fakaʻimikuleisini ʻi ʻAmeliká.
Tokanga ki he uepisaiti loi:
ʻOku ai e ʻū uepisaiti loi ʻoku nau fakakau ʻa e hingoa ʻo ha ngaahi uepisaiti tufaki ongoongo ʻiloa ʻi honau hingoá. Kau heni ʻa e uepi ʻokú ne ngāueʻaki ʻa e hingoa BBC mo e USA Today ʻo fakahingoaʻaki kinautolu hangē ko e bbc-tv mo e usa-tv. Ko e uepi ʻeni ʻoku haʻu mei ai ʻa e ngaahi ongoongo taʻemoʻoni ni.