Australian authorities Tuesday confirmed that a remaining 153 asylum seekers from a boat intercepted at sea, were now on an Australian vessel, reports the Australian Broadcast Channel.
A High Court hearing on Tuesday heard the first official confirmation that the group of predominantly Tamil asylum seekers had been intercepted by Australian patrol boats, when the government pledged to provide at least 3 days notice should a decision to hand deport the group be made.
The court is set to decide on the fate of the asylum seekers on Friday, reports the BBC.
Australia confirms handing over first boat to Sri Lankan authorities, second boat remains unaccounted for (07 July 2014)
Asylum seekers have already been tortured by Sri Lankan forces (04 July 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
