There has been no change in policy towards those who attempt to flee Sri Lanka said the island's justice minister, as four asylum seekers who were intercepted at sea by Australian authorities earlier this month were charged with illegally leaving the country.
Sri Lanka's minister of justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the island's new government would still press charges against all those who attempted to flee the country.
“We have not discussed that at all, and such a change is not within the 100 days program of the new government and is not a priority. So there is unlikely to be any change soon. Any returning illegal asylum seeker would have to face the legal process of the country,” Rajapakshe said.
Four Tamil asylum seekers were intercepted by Australian authorities near the Cocos islands earlier this month and interviewed at sea by border protection officials. They were then handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities. The move has faced severe criticism from human rights organisations and advocacy groups who state Australia is breaking international law by sending asylum seekers to countries where they may face harm.
The Australian government though defended its actions, with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton saying, the government was "acting well and truly within not only our domestic but our international law obligations".
"We are very happy that we are acting in a responsible way," said Mr Dutton, adding,
"These are organised criminal syndicates that are involved in trying to leverage money out of people to get them onto boats, but those people are wasting their money, they're wasting their time, and they're wasting their effort. They will not be coming to Australia."
See our earlier posts:
'Drivers of terror' still send Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, says TRC (19 Feb 2015)
Tamil refugees arrested off Sri Lanka coast (19 Feb 2015)
Sri Lanka's minister of justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the island's new government would still press charges against all those who attempted to flee the country.
“We have not discussed that at all, and such a change is not within the 100 days program of the new government and is not a priority. So there is unlikely to be any change soon. Any returning illegal asylum seeker would have to face the legal process of the country,” Rajapakshe said.
Four Tamil asylum seekers were intercepted by Australian authorities near the Cocos islands earlier this month and interviewed at sea by border protection officials. They were then handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities. The move has faced severe criticism from human rights organisations and advocacy groups who state Australia is breaking international law by sending asylum seekers to countries where they may face harm.
The Australian government though defended its actions, with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton saying, the government was "acting well and truly within not only our domestic but our international law obligations".
"We are very happy that we are acting in a responsible way," said Mr Dutton, adding,
"These are organised criminal syndicates that are involved in trying to leverage money out of people to get them onto boats, but those people are wasting their money, they're wasting their time, and they're wasting their effort. They will not be coming to Australia."
See our earlier posts:
'Drivers of terror' still send Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, says TRC (19 Feb 2015)
Tamil refugees arrested off Sri Lanka coast (19 Feb 2015)