Immigration

The warning comes after a joint operation by the Vanuatu Police and Immigration Department that led to the deportation the owners of the popular Aquana Resort in Port Vila on Wednesday.

Vanuatu's Immigration Services director Jeffrey Markson told the Daily Post newspaper the family of five adults and three children were ordered to leave Vanuatu after residing and doing business without any valid visas for four years.

Markson said "their removal was the last option" after the resort owners continued to disregard official advice and non-compliance of the law.

High-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs and top executives will be affected.

The White House said the move will create jobs for Americans hurting economically due to the pandemic.

But critics say the White House is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to tighten up immigration laws.

Who's affected?

In a briefing for reporters, the administration said the freeze, in place through the end of the year, would impact about 525,000 people.

Months later, the saga continues to provoke a much wider discussion, writes Kathy Marks in Sydney.

She is, by her own definition, "the perfect package for outrage" - a young, brown-skinned, feminist Muslim with outspoken opinions and the self-confidence to articulate them.

Even so, Yassmin Abdel-Magied could hardly have anticipated the ferocity, or the relentlessness, of the attacks which have rained on her in recent months. They have come from internet trolls, tabloid newspapers and even the Australian prime minister, culminating in the 26-year-old leaving the country.

Mr El Sheikh physically resisted two attempts to move him from Manus to Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, from where authorities planned to deport him to Lebanon.

The advocate, Marilyn Beech, said during that time, Mr El Sheikh was the victim of several beatings by security forces and suffered injuries to his ribs, kidneys, ankle and neck, resulting in a loss of sensation in his left side.

The visitors were reportedly involved in harvesting sea cucumbers.

The agriculture department says under Vanuatu laws, it is illegal for foreigners to be employed and the penalty of the breach of visa conditions is just over USD 2,000.

Richard Small's comments come after a Tongan family he represented won a last-ditch appeal to stay in the country.

Viliami and Limiteti Talamai came to New Zealand in 2008 with their two young children hoping for a better life.