The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Thursday, expressed ‘profound concern,’ over reports that two boats of Tamil asylum seekers off the coast of Christmas Island by Australia, had been sent back to Sri Lanka.
“International law prescribes that no individual can be returned involuntarily to a country in which he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution,” said the UNHCR’s regional office in Australia in a statement released Thursday evening, reports The Guardian.
“When boats presumed to be carrying asylum seekers are intercepted, UNHCR’s position is that requests for international protection should be considered within the territory of the intercepting state, consistent with fundamental refugee protection principles,” the statement further said.
A mid-ocean transfer of the Tamil-asylum seekers from an Australian customs vessel to a Sri Lankan navy cutter could take place within the next day, reports The Australian.
The Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, have failed to confirm that the boat of asylum seekers existed and dodged questions regarding whether the boat has will be sent back to Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka is not everyone’s idea of an ideal society but it is at peace,” said Mr Abott, in response to questions on the fate of the asylum seekers.
The Greens leader, Christine Milne, earlier called the potential transfer of Tamil Asylum seekers to the Sri Lankan government an unfolding ‘human rights crisis’ that required full information.
The Greens immigration spokesperson, Sarah Hanson Young, added,
“Mr Abbott cannot continue to fly in the face of the law, we have an obligation to provide people protection, not hand them back to the very people they are fleeing.”
Related articles:
SL High Commissioner to Australia denies abuse of deportees (03 Jul 2014)
SL navy official confirms asylum seekers to be handed back (02 Jul 2014)
Australia silent on fate of asylum seeker boat (30 Jun 2014)
Concern grows for 153 Tamil asylum seekers at sea (29 Jun 2014)
Australia denies asylum seeker boat in trouble (28 Jun 2014)
ATC calls on Australian government to ensure safety of stranded refugees (28 Jun 2014)
Tamil asylum seekers stranded in Australian waters, Abbott deflects questions (27 Jun 2014)
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