Singapore rescues 300 Sri Lankan migrants

Singaporean authorities have reportedly saved an estimated 300 Sri Lankan migrants as their boat began to sink.

Singaporean authorities have notified Sri Lanka that refugees would be taken to Vietnam.

The news comes as an increasing number of Tamils are seeking asylum from Sri Lanka. Over 100 Eelam Tamils have found themselves marooned on Diego Garcia, a British island in the Indian Ocean, with no hope of receiving asylum in the UK. Whilst the UK is a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which guarantees that those entering British borders are able to apply for asylum; the Diageo Garcia is unique in being one of the only places under British sovereignty where the convention does not apply. The British government is currently facing condemnation for putting the lives of Tamil refugees, including children, at risk by enabling onward travel from Diego Garcia on a vessel that lacked basic safety equipment.

Read more here: British minister denies Tamil asylum seekers are detained on Diego Garcia

Reporting from the Guardian indicates that the British government is exploring potential options to relocate those in Diego Garcia which include relocating the cohort to Rwanda. The British government is currently facing condemnation for putting the lives of Tamil refugees, including children, at risk by enabling onward travel from Diego Garcia on a vessel that lacked basic safety equipment.

Australia is also facing criticism for its harsh immigration policy which has seen 183 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka returned to the island.

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