Section 8: Prohibited immigrants

8. Prohibited immigrants (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), the following persons, other than citizens and, subject to section 6, residents, shall be deemed to be prohibited immigrants and shall not be admitted to Mauritius— (a) persons who appear to the immigration officer to be suffering from any physical or mental infirmity and who are likely to be a charge on public funds; (b) persons afflicted with any infectious or contagious disease; (c) persons who are dumb, blind or otherwise physically defective or physically handicapped and who are likely to be a charge on public funds; (d) persons who have been convicted of or admit having committed any crime which, if committed in Mauritius, would be punishable by imprisonment for a term of not less than 6 months; (e) prostitutes or persons living on the earnings of prostitutes or persons reasonably suspected as coming to Mauritius for those or any other immoral purposes; (f) habitual beggars or vagrants; (g) persons who are likely to become a charge on public funds; (h) persons who are chronic alcoholics; (i) persons who are addicted to any drug or reasonably suspected of engaging in the traffic of drugs; (j) persons who are engaged, or reasonably suspected of engaging, in activities prejudicial to the integrity or sovereignty of Mauritius or of any friendly state; (k) persons concerning whom there are reasonable grounds for believing they are likely to engage in any subversive activity of any kind directed against Mauritius or detrimental to the security of Mauritius or any friendly state; I2 – 11 [Issue 5] Immigration Act (l) persons declared suspected international terrorists under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. (2) The Minister may authorise in writing, under his hand or under the hand of a person designated by him, the admission to Mauritius of any person referred to in subsection (1) including a non-citizen who satisfies the immigration officer that he intends to marry a citizen to whom he has disclosed that he is HIV positive or has AIDS. (3) The Minister may attach such conditions as he thinks fit to the admission of any person referred to in subsection (2). [S. 8 amended by s. 34 (3) of Act 2 of 2002 w.e.f. 16 March 2002; s. 3 of Act 1 of 2008.]