Media spokesperson for the UNHCR, Adrian Edward, made statement to the international media on Tuesday (12), stating that the Sri Lankan government was violating international law.
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Source/Credit: Ceylon Today
By Niranjala Ariyawansa | August 14, 2014
The government does not consider Pakistani nationals as refugees but as tourists who have overstayed their visa period, the Controller of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Chulananda Perera, speaking to Ceylon Today, he said.
"The UNHCR High Commissioner has stated that Sri Lanka is breaking international law. Whatever is said, we have not violated any international laws. The reason for this is because Sri Lanka has not signed the 1956 convention on refugees. The other reason we took in these people under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) we had with the UNHCR. However the UNHCR has violated the working agreement with Sri Lanka, which is a third party. Because of these we consider the Pakistani individuals as tourists, not refugees,".
When Ceylon Today contacted the UNHCR office, its Executive Assistant, Dushanthi Fernndo, said that already 98 Pakistani individuals have been deported.
"UNHCR does not deal with visa applications for individuals or engage in extradition of individuals. The government is violating the customary international law principle of no forced return or non-refoulement which forbids countries from sending refugees back to places where their life or freedom would be threatened," she stated.
Meanwhile, refugee rights lawyer, representing the Pakistanis, alleged that the Pakistani individuals who were detained at the Boossa detention camp in Galle were being tortured.
When asked about this matter, Dushanthi Fernando said that when UNHCR officials arrived at the Boossa detention camp they were not allowed to enter by the officers of the department of Immigration and Emigration.
Media spokesperson for the UNHCR, Adrian Edward, made statement to the international media on Tuesday (12), stating that the Sri Lankan government was violating international law.
He warned that what the Sri Lankan Government was doing was a violation of international law.
Nevertheless, the controller of the Department of Immigration and Emigration said that he is continuing the process of deporting 10 Pakistanis until all 1,456 of the Pakistani nationals have been deported.
Read original post here: Sri Lanka says Pakistani nationals are tourists, not refugees
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