NUKU’ALOFA (Pacnews) — People of Tongan descent living outside their homeland will be able to regain their citizenship under new rules in this South Pacific kingdom.
Although laws allowing Tongans to have dual citizenship were passed last year, they only became operational last month when regulations for how they will operate were revealed.
Under the new rules, Tongans who lost their citizenship after changing their nationality in another country will be able to apply to have it reinstated.
Children born overseas to Tongan parents living abroad will be able to apply for a foreign birth certificate, but will have to swear an oath before becoming a Tongan citizen.
Foreigners who marry a Tongan will also be able to obtain citizenship provided they lodge a written declaration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishing to assume Tongan nationality.
Before the new rules were adopted, a person born out of wedlock to a Tongan mother in a foreign country could be considered a stateless child.
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MOU VAKAVAKAI'I FAKALELEI 'AE SITISENI UA KO'ENI, NA'A KO HA FU'U ME'A KUMI
PA'ANGA 'ENI 'AE PULE'ANGAA KE TOTONGI ATU 'AKI HA FU'U MO'UA HA FEITU'U.
'OKU FIHA E TOTONGI 'OE LESISITA KE TOE MA'U HA'ATE SITISENI TONGA?? KOE HA
KUO FU'U MAMAFA PEHE AI? $700??????? PER PERSON???? HE KO HAI IA 'E TOE FIE
FOKI ATU 'O NOFO 'IHE MALUMALU 'OE TU'I MOE PULE'ANGA PULE FAKAEHAUA E
KAKAI MA'ULALO?? 'OKU HALA 'ATAA HA TOE FIE FOKI ATU IA...MAHALO AU NA'A
MAU TOKI FIE FOKI ATU 'O KAPAU 'E PULE'I FAKATEMOKALATI 'A TONGA. KUO 'AI
'O TU'UAKI MAI HANGEE HA ME'A 'OKU MAU NOFO 'O 'UNALOTO ATU KIAI?
HALA'ATAA PEA MOLE KE MAMA'O. 'OKU MAU 'UNALOTO ATU KIMAUTOLU PE KOE
FEE KOAA E TAIMI 'E LILIU AI 'A TONGA 'O PULE'ANGA FAKATEMOKALATI.
'Oku 'ikai toe loi koe fo'i misi ena 'e taha 'ae kau fai fa'elee kihe PM ke tatau'i mai ha me'i hu'akau he tafa'aki ko'enaa he 'oku faingofua pe hono fakapuli'i mo 'ikai fu'u loko fakatokanga'i 'ehe kakaii.
Koe vakai pe kuo pihi e totoo kae kei komo pee Feleti 'ae mo'ui 'ae kakaii ke auu ki fe.Aia oku nau pehe koe $700 koe mea noa pe kihe kakai nofo muli ka tenau tanaki pe 'o lava lelei ha'anau fo'i kaiha'a lahi.
Had this legislation been introduced at another time, it may have been favourably recieved. Now, there's a lot of mixed feeling and public confidence in the Government is at an all time low. Indicators of public opinion include newspaper circulation and taxi drivers to name a few. You don't have to look any further than to see how popular such newspapers as the Kele'a is in their attacks on the Government, in particular the PM and his cohorts. People aren't talking favourably at all. Topics of discussion had previously been about the need for political reform. Now the heated discussions have shifted to the removal of firstly the PM, and now the Minister for Tourism. Also, personal attacks are being levelled at the PM's advisors. Would you really be attacking people if they had any integrity? Of course not. So our definition of being Tongan and Tongan citizenship has been redefined? Do people who've given up their citizenship really want to be identified with the current state of affairs in Tonga?
Minor wrote: ".... So our definition of being Tongan and Tongan citizenship has been redefined? Do people who've given up their citizenship really want to be identified with the current state of affairs in Tonga?..."
Thankyou Minor for raising what is now a crucial issue for public discussion, and perhaps overlooked by our leaders to consider. As you stated, the current state of play in Tonga raises the following the questions
(i) what does it mean to be tongan ?
(ii) the issuance of Tongan citizenship means one is automatically Tonga, mind and soul ?
(iii) what does a citizenship offer me if I were to be given one ?
With the prevailing circumstances in Tonga is major disincentive for me to consider taking up Tongan citizenship !!!
Kehekehe Wrote:MOU VAKAVAKAI'I FAKALELEI 'AE SITISENI UA KO'ENI, NA'A KO HA FU'U ME'A KUMI
PA'ANGA 'ENI 'AE PULE'ANGAA KE TOTONGI ATU 'AKI HA FU'U MO'UA HA FEITU'U.
'OKU FIHA E TOTONGI 'OE LESISITA KE TOE MA'U HA'ATE SITISENI TONGA?? KOE HA
KUO FU'U MAMAFA PEHE AI? $700??????? PER PERSON???? HE KO HAI IA 'E TOE FIE
FOKI ATU 'O NOFO 'IHE MALUMALU 'OE TU'I MOE PULE'ANGA PULE FAKAEHAUA E
KAKAI MA'ULALO?? 'OKU HALA 'ATAA HA TOE FIE FOKI ATU IA...MAHALO AU NA'A
MAU TOKI FIE FOKI ATU 'O KAPAU 'E PULE'I FAKATEMOKALATI 'A TONGA. KUO 'AI
'O TU'UAKI MAI HANGEE HA ME'A 'OKU MAU NOFO 'O 'UNALOTO ATU KIAI?
HALA'ATAA PEA MOLE KE MAMA'O. 'OKU MAU 'UNALOTO ATU KIMAUTOLU PE KOE
FEE KOAA E TAIMI 'E LILIU AI 'A TONGA 'O PULE'ANGA FAKATEMOKALATI.
ha!ha!ha!
Mo'oni lahi 'aupito koe Kehekehe.
Kohai ia 'e fie mole ha'ane pa'anga lahi pehee ke sitiseni ha fonua hange ko tonga ?
Kau mo au he tali ke mavahe 'ae kau Komo mei he pule'anga kae toki vakai'i 'eku totonu ki hoku fonua tupu'anga.
PEACE!