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Australia deports Tamil asylum seeker amidst fears for his safety

Australian officials have deported a Tamil refugee, suffering from mental illness.

Amidst outrage by human rights organisations, the man was the first of around 150 Tamils who are expected to be deported to Sri Lanka, where they are facing torture on their return.

Australian media, like The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have refused to identify the man for his own safety.

''If he goes there, they kill him,'' his tearful sister said to media after hearing he was taken to the airport. ''What sort of country do we live [in]? Please give him to me, I will look after him.''

According to The Age, a request to see the man for a final visit by his sister and her husband was rejected by authorities.

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