The Department of Social Welfare cannot forcefully remove elderly citizens living on the street without their consent.

This was revealed by the Older Peoples Unit Welfare Officer Nitika Chand while speaking at the aged care work round table discussion in Suva this morning.

Chand says people have been raising this issue, but the Department of Social Welfare will first exercise these citizens’ individual rights.

She emphasizes they have profiled cases where they can only provide state home options.

“If they do not want to move out, we have no right to move them. It becomes their personal choice, their right to be. So as an older person on the street, if they decide they don’t want to stay in the state home or make this home, we can’t force them to stay there.”

Chand reiterates that the Ministry has no legal authority to remove street dwellers off from our streets, however unless and until they commit a crime then the Fiji Police Force is engaged to attend to the case.

The officer further says there are task forces that look after street dwellers to ensure they are evacuated to the appropriate centers during a disaster.