Squatting in Fiji

Squatting in Fiji is defined as being "a resident of a dwelling which is illegal according to planning by-laws regardless of whether the landowner has given consent".

[1] As of 2018, an estimated 20% of the total population was squatting, including people living on land owned by indigenous clans with informal permission (Fijian language: Vakavanua).

As with other Pacific islands, urbanization and lack of governance have created issues for an expanding number of squatters, of which there were an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 in 2009.

When agricultural licenses were not renewed from the 1990s onwards, this displaced former farmers who the government attempted to rehouse and another crisis was caused by the decline of the garment industry in the 2000s; many people then started squatting in Lautoka and Suva, often living in areas where there are environmental dangers.

[5][2] In 2018, the Fijian government announced a program to improve housing in which squatters can become eligible for grants.