Reply: Mr F.D., his spouse Mrs O.N. and their three children, all nationals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, landed in Mauritius on 06 July 2024. They arrived in Mauritius onboard a South African Airways flight from Zimbabwe via South Africa and were heading to Cook Islands via Mauritius and Perth, Australia. On arrival in Mauritius, they proceeded to the transit counters for their connecting flight to Perth, but were refused to board as they did not possess the required transit visa to enter Australia. Consequently, they were referred to Passport and Immigration Officers. Given that Mr F.D. and his family had the intention to travel to Australia without the required visa, they were refused entry into Mauritius and the airline company which had carried them was served with a Removal Order so that they could be brought back to their last port of embarkation, which is Zimbabwe. While waiting to be repatriated, Mrs O.N. felt unwell and upon being examined by the medical team at the airport, it was found that she was thirty-six weeks pregnant. Mrs O.N. had not disclosed her pregnancy nor had she provided a medical certificate ascertaining her fitness to travel prior to flying to Mauritius. Given her health condition, she was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose Belle. Mr F.D. and his children were admitted into Mauritius and they went to stay in a guesthouse in Mahebourg. On 10 July 2024, that is, only four days after her arrival, Mrs O.N. gave birth to a baby boy and the birth was duly registered by the Civil Status Office at Grand Port. During enquiry, Mr F.D. informed the Passport and Immigration Office that he himself, his spouse and their three children had refugee status certificates issued by the Government of Zambia since 30 November 2023 in accordance with Zambian legislation which has incorporated the provisions of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Mauritius has not acceded to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, but adheres to the principle of “non-refoulement”. To ensure that he obtains international protection for all his family members in Mauritius, Mr F.D. registered his family with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have been granted a UNHCR Refugee Certificate which certifies that they are refugees and should be protected from forcible return to a country where they would face threats to their lives or freedom. Their UNHCR Refugee Certificate has been periodically renewed and the last certificate issued to them will expire on 18 September 2026. Although it is incumbent on UNHCR to cater for the resettlement of Mr F.D. and his family, the UNHCR has, so far, not been able to do so. On 13 July 2024, following the discharge of Mrs O.N. from hospital, the family was taken charge by Caritas Mauritius, which is a non-governmental organisation, and with the assistance of UNHCR, they were accommodated in a house in Grand Gaube. Mr F.D. was informed by the Passport and Immigration Office that he and his family would be allowed to stay in Mauritius pending resettlement by UNHCR. He was also informed that his children could access to private schooling only and that he and his spouse should not engage in any gainful activities during their stay in Mauritius, as the Immigration Act does not provide for refugees to be eligible for a residence permit. Since then, the Passport and Immigration Office has been monitoring the situation of Mr F.D. and has regularly convened him for statements. Mr F.D. has also experienced difficulties to leave Mauritius for Cook Islands. The child born in July 2024 was only issued with a passport by the authorities of Democratic Republic of the Congo on 27 May 2025. By then, Mrs O.N. was pregnant again and therefore could not travel. She gave birth to another baby on 11 July 2025, who was then issued with a passport on 18 December 2025. Mr F.D. has also experienced financial difficulties to purchase air tickets for Cook Islands. On 20 March 2026, the Passport and Immigration Office convened Mr F.D. for a statement wherein he indicated that he has managed to gather funds from public donations and refunds from Air Mauritius. However, he was still short of some Rs120,000. He reiterated his desire to go to Cook Islands and stated that once he has managed to purchase his air tickets, his barrister would assist him in applying for the transit visa in Australia to enable him to proceed to his destination. Given the intention and desire of Mr F.D. to proceed to Cook Islands, no permit, whether residence or work permits, has been issued or will be issued to him. As regards schooling of Mr F.D.’s children, he was informed to avail of private schooling services. The case of Mr F.D. and his family has demonstrated that there is a need for Mauritius to establish a system and mechanism to cater for non-citizens requesting for international protection. While it was initially believed that Mr F.D. and his family would promptly leave Mauritius to their final destination, they faced complications which impeded their travel from Mauritius. My Office, with the assistance of the Attorney General’s Office, is currently engaging with UNHCR to review the current policies regarding non-citizens claiming for international protection and refugees in terms of their legal status and right to work in Mauritius. STATE OF THE ECONOMY REPORT – OFFICIAL STATISTICS – MANIPULATION ALLEGATIONS