A Tamil asylum seeker in Sydney set himself on fire and is in a critical condition, after the Australian government decided to deport him back to Sri Lanka, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
The man, Janarthan, who suffered 98% burns to his body, is unlikely to survive, said
Trevor Grant from the Tamil Refugee Council.
A suicide note left by Janarthan said he would rather die in Australia than in Sri Lanka, Grant added.
Janarthanan is in his late 20s and had been living in Australia for 18 months.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said it was a "deeply distressing incident".
"The government’s focus is to ensure for the proper care and support of this young man, in partnership with the Sri Lankan High Commission," a spokesperson for the minister said.
The Australian government confirmed that the young man "was found not to be owed protection and this decision was affirmed on appeal by the Refugee Review Tribunal earlier this month."
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