Tamils deported from UK reach Sri Lanka
Press Trust of India, Updated: June 17, 2011 12:58 IST
Colombo: A group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers were deported from Britain on Friday despite protests from rights campaigners, officials said.
Around 26 of them, including two women were accompanied by a security contingent of 30 British officials on a special chartered flight that arrived in Colombo today.
The group includes member from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities, officials added.
Mostly Sri Lankan Tamils left the country in large numbers with the outbreak of hostilities between the LTTE and government forces since 1983.
The returnees were subject to recording of statements by Sri Lankan law agency officials at the airport.
Human Rights campaigners protested what they termed as forced expulsion of them, some of them said to be having links with the LTTE.
The rights groups claimed that they risked their lives back in Sri Lanka.
But the British authorities said the deportations were carried out as they were satisfied that the individuals had no protection issues as the situation in Sri Lanka improved since the end of the war with the LTTE two years ago.
Although there have been instances of failed asylum seekers returning individually, instances such as today's where large groups had been forced to return are rare in the history of the island's conflict, officials added.
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Around 26 of them, including two women were accompanied by a security contingent of 30 British officials on a special chartered flight that arrived in Colombo today.
The group includes member from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities, officials added.
Mostly Sri Lankan Tamils left the country in large numbers with the outbreak of hostilities between the LTTE and government forces since 1983.
The returnees were subject to recording of statements by Sri Lankan law agency officials at the airport.
Human Rights campaigners protested what they termed as forced expulsion of them, some of them said to be having links with the LTTE.
The rights groups claimed that they risked their lives back in Sri Lanka.
But the British authorities said the deportations were carried out as they were satisfied that the individuals had no protection issues as the situation in Sri Lanka improved since the end of the war with the LTTE two years ago.
Although there have been instances of failed asylum seekers returning individually, instances such as today's where large groups had been forced to return are rare in the history of the island's conflict, officials added.
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Story first published:
June 17, 2011 12:57 IST
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ndtv.com/article/world/tamils-deported-from-uk-reach-sri-lanka-112944?cp
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