An article
in the UK Guardian from Friday, 14th September, reports that the UK
intends to move forward with a mass deportation of Tamils to Sri Lanka next
week. Many of them arrived in the State to claim asylum, describing accounts of
torture and ill-treatment.
Human
rights organizations Freedom from Torture and Human Rights Watch both have
corroborated those statements, arguing that “the government has severely
underestimated this possibility [of torture] when it comes to returned Tamils,
many of whom are routinely arrested and questioned about links with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and activities in the UK, with torture
often playing a part.” The UK Guardian has previously reported about aTamil man
who had been refused asylum in the UK and tortured upon his return to Sri
Lanka. Despite this, the UK Border Agency refuses to discuss the flights that
are scheduled to deport the Tamils until after they have taken off.
Freedom
from Torture notes, “This rate of referrals involving torture following return
from the UK to a particular country is, to the best of our knowledge,
unprecedented since Freedom from Torture was founded in 1985.”
A UK Border
Spokesman said, “The UK has a proud record of offering sanctuary to those who
need it, but people who do not have a genuine need for our protection must
return to their home country. We only undertake returns to Sri Lanka when we
are satisfied that the individual has no international protection needs. The
European Court of Human Rights has ruled that not all Tamil asylum seekers
require protection.”
The head of
Human Rights Watch, David Mepham, has said that HRW has documented a series of
cases where failed asylum seekers from Tamil have faced torture or serious
threats of torture upon their return to Sri Lanka. He recommended, “Given the
very serious risk of torture facing many Tamils returned from this country, the
UK should immediately impose a moratorium on these returns, pending a thorough
review of UK policy in this area and the introduction of new assessment
guidelines.”
At this
point, it appears that the flights will go ahead as scheduled, but hopefully in
the future, the UK Border Agency will more carefully review each case to
prevent Tamils being returned to a situation where they would face torture or
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Brophy Solicitors
17.09.12
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