Sunday, 03rd August 2014
The Sri Lankan Government on Saturday blamed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka over an issue surrounding Pakistani asylum seekers in this south Asian nation.
The Sri Lankan authorities have decided to deport asylum seekers arrested despite them having sought asylum through the UN refugee agency.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that in keeping with its obligations under customary international law, the Sri Lankan government has been engaging consistently with UNHCR to address and manage the asylum seeker population, particularly its increase.
In March 2013, as the number of asylum seekers in Sri Lanka began to increase, the Sri Lankan government requested the UNHCR in Sri Lanka to assist by taking certain measures, which included the establishment of a safe house/welfare center for those identified as refugees until they are accepted for resettlement in a third country.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs says UNHCR has not addressed these requirements and neither has UNHCR managed to expedite the twin processes of status determination of asylum seekers and resettlement of those identified as refugees in third countries.
"The influx of asylum seekers and their tendency not to have an established place of residence has resulted in serious law and order, security, as well as health related issues for the authorities," the External Affairs Ministry said.
The Sri lankan government says that a single country cannot be expected to carry a burden of this nature for an indefinite period of time and therefore, these asylum seekers are being encouraged to return, in the vital security interests of Sri Lanka and the region as a whole.
From: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-08/03/c_133527418.htm
