Sri Lanka: Information on government efforts to stop organized illegal departures of Tamils, on arrests and convictions of organizers, and on whether these organizers are accused of being Tamil sympathizers
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA18821.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Information on government efforts to stop organized illegal departures of Tamils, on arrests and convictions of organizers, and on whether these organizers are accused of being Tamil sympathizers, 1 November 1994, LKA18821.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac103c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Comprehensive information on Sri Lankan government efforts to combat organized illegal departures of Tamils cannot be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
A February 1994 Xinhua report indicates that an international delegation including officials from Germany, Netherlands and Canada, held a series of talks with Sri Lankan officials to coordinate efforts to stop people from abusing international travel documents (12 Feb. 1994). Observers believe that thousands Sri Lankans enter foreign countries by using false documents (Xinhua 12 Feb. 1994; The Sri Lanka Monitor Feb. 1994, 4).
According to a May 1985 report by the Refugee Status Advisory Committee (RSAC), in 1985, on the grounds that it will not interfer in the free movement of its citizens, the Sri Lankan government refused to intervene when asked by West Germany to control the exit of Tamils (Stonyk 22 May 1985, 29).
The University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) in Jaffna stated in a November 1993 report that there are agencies in Colombo and India that make arrangements to send people to western countries as refugees (15 Nov. 1993, 9; see also The Sri Lanka Monitor Feb. 1994, 4; Xinhua 30 Nov. 1991). According to UTHR, these agencies are part of a network that includes key persons and institutions such as airport authorities, government authorities, officials from a number of western embassies in Colombo and those of neighbouring countries (15 Nov. 1993, 9).
However, the Sri Lanka Monitor reportes that many of these travel agencies are run by Tamil militant groups, which control the refugee market (Feb. 1994, 4; see also Xinhua 30 Nov. 1991). This information was corroborated by a February 1994 report of the Sri Lanka Project. According to this report, these "travel agencies" are run by local gangsters or Tamil militants in Colombo who demand up to Rs$400,000 (US$10,000) to provide an escape route and false papers (The Sri Lanka Project Feb. 1994). In an article entitled "Tamil Refugees of Sri Lanka and the West," Rajan Hoole further indicates that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) receive income in the form of cuts from "travel agents" and collections in Europe (Christian Worker 1st and 2nd Quarters 1993, 12).
According to a representative of the Tamil Information Centre in London, arrests and convictions of organizers of illegal departures have been reported in Sri Lankan newspapers (10 Nov. 1994). The representative noted, however, that most of the cases of organized illegal departures reported by the press are cases where the complainants have been defrauded by the organizers (ibid.). Although unable to specify the penalties for organizing illegal departures, the representative indicated that a conviction usually entails a prison term (ibid.).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Christian Worker [Colombo]. 1st and 2nd Quarters 1993. Rajan Hoole. "Tamil Refugees of Sri Lanka and the West."
The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. February 1994. No. 73. "The Moscow Route."
The Sri Lanka Project Briefing [London]. February 1994. No. 2. "The Swiss Solution: Sri Lankan Asylum-Seekers in Europe and the Threat of Deportation."
Stonyk, Margaret. 22 May 1985. "An Overview of Current Issues Related to the Study of Sri Lankan Claims." Report prepared by the Refugee Status Advisory Committee (RSAC).
Tamil Information Centre, London. 10 November 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), Jaffna. 15 November 1993. Report 12. A Sovereign Will to Self Destruct The Continuing Saga of Dislocation and Disintegration. Jaffna: UTHR.
The Xinhua General Overseas News Service. 12 February 1994. "Fake Travel Documents to Be Prevented in Sri Lanka." (DIRB Indexed Media Review Vol. 7, No. 7, 8-14 Feb. 1994, p. 47)
. 30 November 1991. "13 Sri Lankans Arrested in Norway." (NEXIS)
Attachments
Christian Worker [Colombo]. 1st and 2nd Quarters 1993. Rajan Hoole. "Tamil Refugees of Sri Lanka and the West," pp. 10-12.
The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. February 1994. No. 73. "The Moscow Route," p. 4.
The Sri Lanka Project Briefing [London]. February 1994. No. 2. "The Swiss Solution: Sri Lankan Asylum-Seekers in Europe and the Threat of Deportation."
Stonyk, Margaret. 22 May 1985. "An Overview of Current Issues Related to the Study of Sri Lankan Claims." Report prepared by the Refugee Status Advisory Committee (RSAC), pp. 1, 29.
University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), Jaffna. 15 November 1993. Report 12. A Sovereign Will to Self Destruct The Continuing Saga of Dislocation and Disintegration. Jaffna: UTHR, pp 9-10.
The Xinhua General Overseas News Service. 12 February 1994. "Fake Travel Documents to Be Prevented in Sri Lanka." (DIRB Indexed Media Review Vol. 7, No. 7, 8-14 Feb. 1994, p. 47)
. 30 November 1991. "13 Sri Lankans Arrested in Norway." (NEXIS)
Other Sources Consulted
Amnesty country file. 1991-present.
Amnesty International Report. 1991-1994.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1991-1993.
Human Rights Watch Reports. 1991-1994.
INFORM [Colombo]. Various issues since 1992.
Oral sources.