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Diego Garcia controversy: UK quietly sends back some Lankan asylum seekers “voluntarily” as Australia issues dire warning

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/22

Thilina Walpola

Global Tamil Forum skirts the issue

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) wouldn’t get involved in the ongoing controversy over the UK decision to move Sri Lankans, seeking to settle in the UK, to what the government called ‘a safe third country,’ unless they returned to Sri Lanka ‘voluntarily’.

About 120 Sri Lankans are believed to be housed in a fenced encampment in the US-British held Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands which the United Nations ruled belonged to Mauritius and should be handed back by Dec. 2019.The UK calls the Indian Ocean archipelago the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).Those who represent the interests of the Sri Lankan group, want the UK to allow them to settle in the UK.

The Island sought the GTF’s response to the hotly disputed British move and also asked whether the issue at hand would be raised at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The GTF spokesperson, Suren Surendiran, has sent us the following response: “The GTF, as an organization that functions internationally and not specifically in a specific country as such, doesn’t usually get involved in country specific matters, outside of Sri Lanka. The GTF is predominantly an international advocacy organization. There are various country specific Tamil organizations. There are also Tamil institutions/organizations, including legal firms, acting and lobbying on immigration policies in the UK and in various other countries.”

The Maritime Law Tribunal of the United Nations, the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Chagos Islands belonged to Mauritius.The Guardian online edition, on Oct. 18, quoted Zehrah Hasan, an advocacy director for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, as having said: “The British government has denied Tamil refugees’ basic rights in the Chagos Islands, for over a year now. In a callous move, it looks like they may expel these same refugees to a third country, similar to the Rwanda plan.”

Hassen was referring to the UK agreement with Rwanda to accommodate those denied UK refugee status.Hassan was further quoted as having told The Guardian: “Those who’ve fled persecution must have their voices heard and their right to protection, in the UK, recognized.”

Amidst the ongoing controversy, some of those who had been ‘held’ in the disputed UK territory had chosen to return “voluntarily” to Sri Lanka in the recent past. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister, Jesse Norman, recently told Parliament so far over 60 Sri Lankans voluntarily returned home.Meanwhile, Australia has reiterated that illegal Sri Lankan immigrants wouldn’t be tolerated, under any circumstances. In separate statements, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, Australian Border Force Commissioner, Michael Outram, and Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) Commander Rear Admiral Justin Jones, have issued dire warnings that those who violated their laws would be dealt with.

Flanked by Commissioner Outram and Rear Admiral Jones, Minister O’Neil declared that Australian border protection polices haven’t changed. If you attempt to reach Australia by boat, you will be intercepted and turned around and you’ll end up back in Sri Lanka far worse off than when you embarked. The only way to get to Australia, legally, is with a valid visa. “

Rear Admiral Jones said that they would detect, intercept and return anyone who takes an illegal boat journey to Australia. The top official has warned that not a single boat managed to reach Australia. Australia released footage of a youth carrying a pair of slippers disembarking from an Australian vessel that had brought back a group of people, several months ago, while warning such endeavors wouldn’t be tolerated at all.

A couple of weeks before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned, Minister O’Neil met the President and the then Foreign Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris to reiterate their insistence on OSB. In return for Sri Lanka’s cooperation, Australia has enhanced support for cash-strapped Sri Lanka and granted free fuel to its Navy and Air Force to sustain operations meant to discourage human smuggling.

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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]

Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.

Latest News

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

Deep depression Track. [Source: RSMC]

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, Department of Meteorology at 10.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 for the period until 10.30 a.m. 09 January 2026

The depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka has intensified into a deep depression and is centered near latitude 5.4°N and longitude 85.3°E, about 420 km southeast of Pottuvil at 05.30 a.m. today (08th). The above system is currently (10:00 a.m.) located about 300 km southeast of Pottuvil.

It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across the southwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Sri Lanka coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai between 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday [9th January 2026].

Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, NorthCentral, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from today (08th).

For the Land area:

DAMAGE EXPECTED:
• Damage to huts, temporary shelters and light structures
• Destroy the roof tops/ sheets etc.
• Damage to power and communication lines.
• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees.
• Damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
• Damage to harbor yachts
• Flash flood
• Sea water inundation in low lying areas in the near coast.

Action suggested for the Land area:
• Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas to remain indoors.
• People living in hilly areas (particularly landslide prone areas) and low lying areas in river basins are requested to be vigilant.
• Drivers and people using roads in the hilly areas are requested to be vigilant.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• General public is requested to be vigilant regarding impending extreme weather situation.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
• Requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

Latest News

Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces and showers about 50-75 mm in other areas

Published

17 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, located to the southeast of Sri Lanka, was centered near latitude 5.3°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 490 km southeast of Pottuvil, at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (07). It is expected to move west-northwestwards and towards the eastern coast of the island during next 24 hours. This system is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Central and Southern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere in the Island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces. Fairly Heavy showers about (50 – 75) mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island.

Strong winds about (50-60) kmph can be expected at times over the Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.