Mon, 2012-10-01 01:04 — editor
By J.A. Fernando in Colombo
Colombo, 01 October, (Asiantribune.com):
Sri Lanka Navy had intercepted nearly 2400 Sri Lankans bound to
Australia from 1 January 2012 to date, Navy Media Spokesperson Commander Kosala
Warnakulasuriya told Asian Tribune.
Accordingly he said all such persons bound to Australia who had been
arrested by the Navy had been handed over to Criminal Investigation Department
after lodging records of their basic information for further investigations.
“We have deployed all our resources, crafts and ships to mitigate this
risk,” Commander Warnakulasuriya said adding that Australian government had
recently appreciated the efforts being taken up by Sri Lankan Navy to stop
illegal migrants from Sri Lanka to Australia.
Commander Warnakulasuriya further added that that although there are
increasing illegal immigrants bound to Australia from Sri Lanka and Indonesia;
Australian Government had appreciated Sri Lankan efforts to stop illegal
migrants whilst Indonesian’s attempts to mitigate the illegal immigration risk
had been not successful.
Increasing illegal immigration to Australia had been a growing concern
during last few years amidst number of interceptions by Sri Lankan Navy to stop
Sri Lankans illegally bound to Australia.
Yesterday on 30 September 2012 Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 36 persons
illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler. The trawler named “ABI”
was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval
Command, 20 nautical miles off Koduwakattu seas. It was later revealed in
reports among the arrested persons are 28 Tamils, 07 Sinhalese and a Muslim
that included 25 males, 03 women and 08 children.
The residents were supposed to be from Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar,
Mullaithivu, Trincomalee, Valachchenai and Kalpitiya.
In the Month of September 2012
As per reports, nearly over 850 Australia bound Sri Lankans had been
intercepted by Navy during this September 2012. On 1st September Sri Lanka Navy
apprehended 05 persons who were engaged in human smuggling in a multi-day
trawler. The trawler named “Rooth Baba” was intercepted 06 nautical miles off
Mullaithivu by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 54 persons illegally bound for Australia in a
multi-day trawler in the early hours of 06th September 2012. The trawler named
“Shadishna” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the
Southern Naval Command, 06 nautical miles off Mirissa.
Among the arrested persons were 47 Tamils, 05 Sinhalese and 02 Muslims,
residing in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Mullaithivu and
Trincomalee.
Similarly, on 7th September Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 58 persons
illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler in the early hours. The
trawler named “Devmini” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached
to the Eastern Naval Command 19 nautical miles off Boulder Point in
Trincomalee. Among the arrested persons are 35 Tamils, 03 Sinhalese and 20
Muslims including 44 males, 06 women and 08 children. They were residents of
Jaffna, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Muthur, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Mullaithivu and
Trincomalee.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 02 Multi - day Trawlers named “Theres
Nilusha” and Mangala” were illegally headed for Australia 20 nautical miles
east of Trincomalee in the early hours on 8th September 2012. The intercepted
trawlers were brought to the Trincomalee harbour with 146 persons including 132
Tamils, 10 Sinhalies and 04 Muslims on board. Among the arrested persons were
including 107 males, 16 women and 23 children. They were residents of Jaffna,
Mullaithivu, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Arachchikattuwa, Chilaw, Kilinochchi,
Trincomalee, and Mannar.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 45 persons illegally bound for Australia in a
multi-day trawler in the early hours of 10th September 2012. The trawler named
“Shaini Baba” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the
Western Naval Command 20 nautical miles off Negombo.
Among the arrested persons are 35 Tamils, 09 Sinhalese and a Muslim.
They were residents of Negombo, Mullaithivu, Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna,
Kalmunei, Hatton, Trincomalee and Wennappuwa.
Further Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 53 persons illegally bound for
Australia in a multi-day trawler on 11th September 2012. The trawler named
“Sinhale 4” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the
Eastern Naval Command 16 nautical miles off Pigeon Island in Trincomalee.
Among the arrested persons are 49 Tamils, 03 Muslims and a Sinhalese
that included 42 males, 03 women and 08 children. They were residents of
Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Trincomalee.
Sri Lanka Navy arrested 86 persons illegally bound for Australia in 02
multi-day trawlers on 13th September 2012. The trawler named “Senesha Duwa”
with 67 persons including 58 Tamils and 09 Sinhalese on board and the other
named “Seloni Duwa” with 19 persons including 14 Tamils and 05 Sinhalese on
board were intercepted 20 nautical miles off Chilaw. Among the arrested persons
were 79 men, 02 women and 05 children (02 boys and 03 girls). They are residents
of Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Chilaw, Mannar, Negombo and
Anamaduwa.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Samudura,
rescued 52 Australia bound persons while stranded in the southern deep seas due
to an engine defect in their multi-day trawler. The trawler had left from
Chilawon 26th July and the tragedy had struck on 23rd August after a month into
its illegal voyage. SLNS Samudura was dispatched accordingly to the location
and the fear-stricken passengers were rescued approximately 225 nautical miles
off Great Basses on 14th September 2012.
Sri Lanka Navy arrested 86 persons who had been illegally heading for
Australia in a multi-day trawler in the seas 62 nautical miles off Galle on
21st September 2012. The over-crowded trawler, named "Laksiri", was
intercepted by a Fast Naval Craft attached to the Southern Naval Command.
Among the arrested were 59 Tamils, 18 Muslims and 09 Sinhalese. There
were 76 men, 04 women and 06 children that include 04 boys and 02 girls, in the
group. They were residents of Thalai-mannar, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Aluthgama,
Beruwela, Puttlam, Jaffna, Colombo, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu and Kegalle.
On 23rd September 2012, Sri Lanka Navy arrested 85 persons illegally
bound for Australia in 02 multi-day trawlers. A trawler named “Mihara” with 35
persons including 26 Tamils and 09 Sinhalese (33 men and 02 women) on board was
intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command,
15 nautical miles off Chilaw Seas. The other boat named “Sudu Duwa” with 50
persons including 45 Tamils, 04 Muslims and a Sinhalese on board was
intercepted off Point Pedro seas by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the
Northern Naval Command. The arrested persons were residents of Jaffna, Mullaithivu,
Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kalpitiya, Chilaw, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Devundra,
Tangalle, Weligama and Mannar.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 19 persons illegally bound for Australia in a
multi-day trawler on 26th September 2012. The trawler named “Kavisha Putha” was
intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Southern Naval
Command, 27 nautical miles off Dondra. Among the arrested persons were 03
Tamils, 09 Muslims and 07 Sinhalese. They were all males and residents of
Colombo, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Pulmudei and Dikwella.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 77 persons illegally bound for Australia in a
multi-day trawler on 28th September 2012. The trawler named “Nirshani” was
intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command,
20 nautical miles off Thoduwawa seas. Among the arrested persons were 61
Tamils, 14 Sinhalese and 02 Muslims that included 75 males, a woman and a
child. They are residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Puttlam, Colombo,
Udappuwa, Mannar, Chilaw and Kalpitiya.
Many Sri Lankans started to migrate to Australia
Recent times, many Sri Lankans have started to migrate to Australia on
illegal ways by paying exorbitant money to Human Smugglers with a view of
obtaining Asylum in Australia.
In the Australian context, an asylum seeker is an applicant for a
protection visa. They are assessed at the primary stage of processing by the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the department), and at the review
stage of processing by the Refugee Review Tribunal.
While Australia is 118 times larger than Sri Lanka, Australia still has
only 22.62 million population compared to 20.27 million population in Sri
Lanka, which is only an excess of 2.34 million.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in mid-2010 nearly
5.99 million of the Australian resident populations were born outside
Australia, representing 26.8% of the total Australian resident population. And
there were an estimated Sri Lankan born population of 92,243 compared to 70,908
in 2006.
- Asian Tribune -
