USP Vice Chancellor Professor Ahluwalia arrives in Samoa

APIA, SAMOA – 09 MARCH 2022: USP Vice Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia has arrived in Samoa where he will be based at the USP Campus at Alafua.

“We have arrived in beautiful Samoa. Everybody has been so wonderful and understanding. We are now in quarantine. No feeling like being back home in the Pacific. Our sincere thanks to everyone,” he tweeted on arrival 6 March.

The Fijian government deported Professor Ahluwalia and his partner Sandra Price in February last year, following what the government said “were continuous breaches by both individuals of the Immigration Act.”

It had stated that under Section 13 of the Immigration Act 2003, no foreigner is permitted to conduct themselves in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security, or good government of Fiji.

Professor Ahluwalia said that it was a premeditated attempt to remove him as Vice-Chancellor after he raised allegations of corruption at USP.

He was appointed to a three-year term by the USP Council in August last year.