Tonga launches first national policy to support and reintegrate deportees

Tonga has introduced its first national policy to aid deportees, known as 'returnees,' in reintegrating into society. The Tonga National Returnees Reintegration Policy & Strategic Plan of Action 2026-2030 aims to reduce reoffending and help individuals rebuild their lives.

“

The vision ... which basically is the heart of what the policy is about, and something that the various stakeholders came to agree to, is full reintegration and restoration of returnees' life.

The policy was unveiled in Nuku'alofa after a year of collaborative work involving government bodies, churches, non-governmental organizations, and deportees themselves. This joint effort sought to create a more coordinated approach for individuals returning to Tonga, many of whom spent decades overseas and now face social isolation and limited support in a country they barely know.

“

Majority of these returnees are young men aged 25 to 35, and so they've spent extended periods overseas. And so, there's obviously cultural gaps, limited support, and that's one of the reasons we have this policy.

Katrina Ma'u Fatiaki, a member of the organization 'Dare to Dream,' which champions the rehabilitation of returnees, stated that the policy's core vision is the "full reintegration and restoration of returnees' life." She noted that over 1000 Tongans have returned since 2000, with approximately 628 classified as criminal returnees. The majority of these returnees are young men aged 25 to 35, who have spent significant time abroad, leading to cultural gaps and a lack of support.

“

Because they've been sent back because of criminal activities, they come back and their own homeland is almost like a foreign land. So the policy is about making them feel valued, so they know they are respected citizens of the country.

Fatiaki emphasized that many deportees return to a homeland that feels foreign due to their extended absence and past offenses. The policy intends to make these individuals feel valued and respected as citizens. The lived experiences of returnees were central to shaping the policy, highlighting the profound social isolation and stigma they face. A key challenge for them is reintegrating into communities and society at large, a problem the new policy aims to address.

“

Their testimonies have always been about the social isolation that they have faced. A lot of them that have been sent back, because of the isolation and the stigma, and one of the biggest challenges is for them to reintegrate back into the communities, and society at large.