Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

Tamil asylum seekers remanded by Sri Lankan court

Photograph: Sunday Times

A Sri Lankan court in Puttalam has remanded a group of asylum seekers who attempted to flee the island last month.

The group of at least 22 people were arrested last month, following a tip off to police.

The Sunday Times reports the group are all residents of Jaffna, Mannar, Puthukkudiyiruppu and Trincomalee. They were attempting to flee to Australia or Canada.

The latest arrest of asylum seekers by the Sri Lankan government takes place after a report by the Associated Press last month detailed ongoing allegations of rape and torture of Tamil men by Sri Lankan security forces. The men interviewed were all seeking political asylum in Europe.

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.