#tamil asylum seekers

[thoughtlessarse]

Last month, the US blocked a British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT) court from entering the British territory of Diego Garcia—part of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, and prevented a group of Tamil migrants—stranded on the island since 2021, from presenting their case that they were being unlawfully detained. This has left the Tamils living in what amounts to a concentration camp, locked in a legal limbo and held in virtual incommunicado 1,000 miles away from the nearest landmass in India. Tessa Gregory, a lawyer at Leigh Day solicitors representing the asylum seekers, said, “That the British Indian Ocean Territory supreme court has been prevented from sitting in its own territory on Crown land is an extraordinary affront to the rule of law.” She appealed to the incoming Labour government foreign secretary to do everything he could “to ensure that the hearing goes ahead as soon as possible.” In 2021, 89 Tamils, including 16 children, who had fled torture and racist persecution in Sri Lanka, had been trying to reach Canada when their fishing boat ran into trouble. They were rescued by Royal Navy ships and brought to Diego Garcia, part of the British Indian Ocean territories, where they have remained ever since, trying to seek asylum in Britain. In 2022, four more boats carrying asylum seekers reached the island, some of whom were allowed to leave and succeeded in reaching the French territory of Reunion. The conditions in the camp are so dire that a number returned. Others were deported back to Sri Lanka. While some of the migrants were sent to Rwanda for medical treatment, they were later returned to Diego Garcia. It is believed that there are at least 60 asylum seekers still on the island, awaiting decisions on their claims or appeals of earlier rulings that are being processed in the UK. Their plight is compounded by the fact that access to Diego Garcia is restricted to those with connections to the military or BIOT’s administration. There are no commercial flights to the island and access for yachts is only for safe passage through the outer Chagos Islands. They live in rat-infested, communal tents and are confined to a small fenced-in area, no bigger than a football pitch, under the watchful eyes of G4S, a security firm who “are treating us like prisoners,” according to anonymous statements by two of the asylum seekers. The BBC says there have been “multiple suicide attempts” and “reports of sexual harassment and assaults.” Lawyers say that there have been hunger strikes, including by children. In November last year, the UN’s High Commission for Refugees visited the island, and wrote a damning report about the camp. It concluded that “conditions there amounted to arbitrary detention” and called for the Tamils’ “immediate relocation.” Even the British Foreign Office, which administers the BIOT from its office in London, admitted the conditions were not suitable. Britain’s control over the BIOT has been deemed illegal. Britain’s Labour government separated Diego Garcia and the 60-plus Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 before it became independent in 1968 and subsequently incorporated the Islands into the specially created British Indian Ocean Territories. This violated the 1960 United Nations Resolution 1514 banning the breakup of colonies before independence. It forcibly expelled Diego Garcia’s 2,000 indigenous people—the Chagossians—who were exiled to slums in Mauritius and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and eventually the UK, where, denied support and compensation and subject to racial discrimination at the hands of officialdom, they have lived in impoverished conditions ever since. The British government has repeatedly rejected their demands to return their homeland.

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Brexiteers on EU: Sovereignty blah blah blah control our borders blah blah blah our rules blah blah blah

Brexiteers on US presence in what they see as British territory: *crickets*

[qudachuk]

British territory’s commissioner withdraws decision after UK high court challengeA group of Tamil asylum seekers stranded on a tiny British territory in the Indian Ocean have won their fight against being forcibly returned to Sri Lanka after a government...

[nedsecondline]

The New Humanitarian | EXCLUSIVE: UK sends Tamil asylum seekers to Rwanda after suicide attempts (Me: Tory cruelty reaches new low)

The news follows a recent backlash against the British government’s immigration deterrence policies and a scandal that involved 200 unaccompanied minors who went missing after being in the care of UK immigration authorities. All five asylum seekers are being treated at the Rwanda Military Hospital in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. They are undergoing psychotherapy as well as treatment for their…

[rightsinexile]

Why do Tamil asylum seekers need protection - and why does the Australian government say they do not?

The following article was written by Niro Kandasamy, a PhD candidate in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. It was published by SBS News on 16 June 2021.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has announced the Murugappans will be moved from detention on Christmas Island, to community detention in Perth.

This follows mounting public concern for the Tamil family, particularly regarding the health of four-year-old Tharnicaa, who was medevaced to Perth from Christmas Island last week.

But the government is yet to make a final decision about where the family can live in the long-term. The family has previously had its refugee claims rejected.

[...]

Australia’s relationship with Sri Lanka

Australia has a special security relationship with Sri Lanka that can’t help but affect its response to Tamil persecution and asylum seekers.

This relationship has been steadily intensifying since the 1970s, when the Indian Ocean gained strategic importance for both countries. In recent years, the Indian Ocean has become increasingly important for Australia’s national security as part of its geographical location in the Asia-Pacific region.

Along with joint exercises, Australia has gifted Sri Lanka patrol boats to stop people smuggling. This April, it gave the police five drones “to support crime fighting”

In 2015, Human Rights Watch reported both governments “colluded” when it came to the treatment of asylum seekers.

"Australia and Sri Lanka colluded to ensure that asylum seekers leaving Sri Lanka were either returned or else not allowed onto Australian territory," Human Rights Watch said.

Australia sent back many asylum seekers to Sri Lanka after cursory interviews at sea; those found to have legitimate claims were processed in other countries. In an apparent bid to secure Sri Lanka’s assistance in stopping migrants and asylum seekers, Australia failed to call for better human rights protections."

Australia has also opposed international investigations into war crimes in Sri Lanka. Until today, it has also ignored a 2019 UN request to release the Murugappan family into the Australian community. [Read more here.]

[azhagu]

ok since no one is talking about it, nades, priya, kopika and tharnicaa murugappan have been kept in a detention centre on christmas island in austraila.

nades and priya both arrived in australia via boats in 2012 and 2013, where they met, got married, and had kopika (5) and tharnicaa (3).

the first attempt at deporting the family was in 2018, when their temporary visa expired. they were flown to melbourne and their deportation would’ve happened if not for the public outer ty from where they settled in biloela. lawyers secured an injunction to stop them from being deported. a legal battle followed that however the court ruled against the family.

in 2019, the government tried deporting them again, but nades contacted lawyers and posted a video of their removal. once again, lawyers secured an injunction and the plane the family was on turned back mid flight to australia. they were send to a detention centre and have been there every since.

recently, tharnicaa has been diagnosed with pneumonia. priya had requested for tharnicaa to be taken to the hospital when she had a fever, however was refused for weeks with tharnicaa’s condition being dismissed. tharnicaa and her mother are currently (june 9, 2021) at perth children’s hospital while nades and kopika are still in the detention centre.

right now, there isn’t very much that can be done to help except for pressuring the austrailian government. however i was able to find a petition organized by angela fredricks, who knows the murugappans.

https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-bring-priya-back-to-biloela

you can also learn more about this through this website made by residents of biloela.

https://www.hometobilo.com

sources linked under the cut.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-57405107.amp

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-56768529

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/07/daughter-of-biloela-asylum-seekers-evacuated-from-christmas-island-for-urgent-medical-care

[radicalgraff]

"Let them stay" Mural in Melbourne by Van T. Rudd of the Biloela family. Tamil asylum seekers currently locked-up in the Christmas Island detention centre who are facing imminent deportation to Sri Lanka.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

In 2009 and 2010, two boats carrying hundreds of Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka — the Ocean Lady and the MV Sun Sea — reached Canadian shores. Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to do everything in his power to prevent the arrival of other ships carrying what he called "illegal" migrants.

This Migrant Smuggling Prevention Strategy Harper created was maintained under Justin Trudeau's government, which now dedicates nearly $18 million a year to it — more than was spent annually while the Conservatives were in power. Federal employees agreed to talk to Radio-Canada to shine a spotlight on some of the most secret aspects of the operation Canada has been undertaking abroad for years.

Robert [not his real name] closely followed the wide-ranging operation launched by the Harper government to prevent boats carrying migrants from making it to Canada. In an exclusive interview with Radio-Canada, the former federal employee said it offended his core values when he learned that Canada was working hand-in-glove with a colonel charged with atrocious crimes in the West African nation Guinea.

The Harper government had dispatched field teams in Southeast Asia and West Africa to thwart the efforts of migrant smugglers. Those teams landed in multiple source and transit countries for migrants, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Guinea.

The teams included members from the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). They were aided by the Communications Security Establishment, which uses information technology in intelligence work. The Foreign Affairs and Immigration ministries also supported the strategy against clandestine migrants, which was overseen by a special adviser to the prime minister.

To this day, the Trudeau government works with local authorities in foreign countries in order to ''disrupt, interdict and deter human smuggling operations,'' Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Guillaume Bérubé said in an email to Radio-Canada.

Canadian police officers are not allowed to conduct searches or make arrests in foreign countries. They must rely on local authorities to apprehend alleged smugglers or intercept migrants. But some of those local police forces are notorious for their brutal methods.

One of Canada's main allies in Guinea has been Col. Moussa Tiégboro Camara. He is the boss of the state's fight against drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism.

''Col. Tiégboro Camara helped us a lot, but he had too much baggage for me to feel comfortable [with the fact] that Canada worked with him,'' Robert said.

''His name had to be left out of reports. It does not look good for a government to work with someone like that.''

Col. Tiégboro Camara was formally charged in 2012 for his alleged role in a massacre at a stadium in Conakry, Guinea's capital, three years earlier. On Sept. 28, 2009, over 150 people were murdered, hundreds were tortured or brutalized, and more than 100 women were raped during a peaceful protest at the stadium. Col. Tiégboro Camara's trial has yet to be held.

In 2009, an International Commission of Inquiry put in place by the United Nations, identified him as one of those responsible for atrocities it described as ''crimes against humanity.''

Continue Reading.

[red-flag-news]

With every Australian government in recent years obsessing about repelling Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, one could be forgiven for thinking the interests of ordinary people in the two countries diametrically opposed. That’s why it’s worth remembering the role played by an Australian activist in the struggle for independence and social justice on the island.

On 4 April 1936, Mark Anthony Bracegirdle arrived in Colombo to work on a tea plantation at a place called Madulkelle in the central highlands. In Ceylon, as the British called the colony, the plantations operated almost as a closed kingdom. Bracegirdle had been offered a post as a “creeper”: a name given to assistant planters because of the obsequious demeanour they were supposed to adopt to the periya dorai (“big master”).

Creepers could, if they behaved themselves, work their way up the white hierarchy, eventually obtaining privileges and status they’d never have enjoyed in their own countries. But their success depended on their management of the estate labourers, who were themselves stratified in a rigid order. The plantation system rested on a workforce of so-called coolies, impoverished Tamils brought from India by recruiting agents who controlled the distribution of their wages. The system guaranteed grotesque abuses, with coolies housed in segregated barracks, denied education and often sinking deeper and deeper into debt.

READ MORE: The Australian communist in the thick of Sri Lanka's independence movement

[antifainternational]

July 21, Melbourne -  Rally: 5 Years Too Many - Bring Them Here!

This July will mark 5 years since the 'PNG solution' was announced 5 years of limbo in offshore detention hellholes 2 years since Manus was declared illegal Over one and a half years since "US refugee deal" announced 12 deaths offshore Its time - Bring Them Here! Speakers include Behrouz Bouchani - live cross fom Manus Luke Hilikari - Victorian Trades Hall Council Huong Truong - Greens MP for Western Suburbs Mohamed Xarbi - refugee and journalist with Universal Somali TV Lavanya Thavaraja - Tamil Refugee Council On the 19th of July 2013, then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that all asylum seekers who arrived in Australia by boat would not be resettled here. This July marks five years too many for the refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru. We need to loudly tell the Coalition government to Bring Them Here, and as we get closer to a federal election to tell the ALP it's time to change policy. End Offshore processing End Boat turnbacks CLOSE MANUS, CLOSE NAURU BRING THEM HERE

[ukdamo]

Threshold

Jackie Kay - on language and communication, story-telling and shared humanity

Let’s blether about doors. Revolving doors and sliding doors;

Half-opened, half-closed: The door with your name on it,

The heavy one - hard to open. The one you walked out when your heart was broken,

The one you walked in as you came to your profession (And the tiny door when you made your confession)

The school door at the end of a lesson, (Yes, Shut the door in Gaelic is duin an doras!)

The wee door on your doll’s House, or Ibsen’s Nora’s door, or Chekhov’s Three Sisters’

Doors imagined by writers the world over - Proust. And the chickens coming home to roost!

Or Chris Guthrie’s open heart at the end of Sunset Song Or the step left when the house is gone, the haw.

The door to the stable, bolted after the horse left, Not Tam O’Shanter’s tail-less horse!

The one that shut suddenly behind you Banged by a violent wind,

The painted red door code for asylum seeker, The X that says Plague or Passover

The one turned into a boat to cross the ever-widening waters. The North seas and the Aegean, reminders

Of the people cleared off their land, out their crofts To whom the sea was their threshold - on, off.

Take the big key and open the door to the living, breathing past The one you enliven over and over,

To the ship’s port, or the house of the welder; To the library door of Donald Dewar.

Then picture yourself on the threshold, The exact moment when you might begin again,

A new sitting, new keys jingle possibilities. Hope comes with a tiny Greyfriar’s Bobby key ring.

Then come through the door to this Parliament, new session! Pass round the revolving door (change in the revolutions,

In 360 degrees) – Take in the mirrored opposites: The Dutch Gables, the cross step Gables…

Here - rising out of the sloping base of Arthur’s Seat Straight into this City, a city that must also speak

For the banks and the braes, munros, cairns, bothies Songs, art, poems, art, stories,

(And don’t forget the ceilidhs – who doesnie love a ceilidh? Heuch!) A city that remembers the fiddlers of Shetland and Orkney

The folk of Colonsay, Bute, and Tiree The Inner and Outer Hebrides, the glens and the Bens

The trees and the rivers and the burns and the lochs and the sea lochs (And Nessie!)

The Granite City and Dumfries and Galloway The Dear green place and Dundee…

Across the stars and the galaxy, The night sky’s tiny keys, the hail clanjamfarie!

Find here what you are looking for: Democracy in its infancy: guard her

Like you would a small daughter And keep the door wide open, not just ajar,

And say, in any language you please, welcome, welcome To the world’s refugees.

Scotland’s changing faces – look at me!! Whose birth mother walked through the door

Of a mother and baby home here And walked out of Elsie Inglis hospital without me.

My Makar, her daughter, Makar Of Ferlie Leed and gallus tongues.

And this is my country says the fisherwoman from Jura. Mine too says the child from Canna and Iona.

Mine too say the Brain family. And mine! says the man from the Polish deli

And mine said the brave and beautiful Asid Shah. Me too said the Black Scots and the red Scots

Said William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots. Said both the Roberts and Muriel Spark.

Said Emile Sande and Arthur Wharton. Said Ali Smith and Edwin Morgan.

Said Liz Lochhead, Norman and Sorley And mine said the Syrian refugee.

Here we are in this building of pure poetry On this July morning in front of her Majesty.

Good Day Ma’am, Ma’am Good Day. Good morning John and Helen Kay -

Great believers in democracy. And in gieing it laldy.

Our strength is our difference. Dinny fear it. Dinny caw canny.

歡迎 (Cantonese)

One language is never enough Gbegbɔgblɔ ɖeka sese menyo tututu o (Ewe)

Welcome Witamy (Polish)

It takes more than one language to tell a story एक कहानी सुनाने के लिए, एक से अधिक भाषाएं लगती हैं (Hindi)

Welcome ਜੀ ਆਇਆ ਨੂੰ (Punjabi)

One language is never enough Une seule langue n’est jamais suffisante (French)

Welcome Fàilte (Gaelic)

It takes more than one tongue to tell a story It taks mair nor ae tongue tae crack (Doric)

Welcome مرحبا (Syrian)

Welcome Nnọọ! (Igbo)

Welcome Wilkommen (German)

Welcome Benvenuti (Italian)

It takes more than one language to tell a story ہانی بتانے کے لئے ایک سے زیادہ زبان لیتا ہے (Urdu)

Lleva màs de un idioma contar una historia, Bienvenidos Un idioma nunca es suficiente Bienvenidos (Spanish)

Eine Geschichte braucht mehr als eine Sprache. Willkommen Eine Sprache reicht nicht Willkommen. (German)

                                                       خوش آمدید۔                                ایک زبان کبھی کافی نہیں ہوتی۔ کہانی سنانے کے لیے ایک سے ذیادہ زبان چاہیے ہوتی ہے۔ (Urdu)

Ci vuole più di una lingua per raccontare una storia. Benvenuto. Una sola lingua non è mai abbastanza. Benvenuto. (Italian)

Cal més d'un idioma per explicar una història. Benvingudes. Un idioma mai no és prou. Benvingudes. (Catalan)

Ne samo jedan jezik je dovoljno je ispricati pricu. Dobrodošli. Jedan jezik nikad nije dovoljno. Dobrodošli. (Serbian)

Щоб розповісти історію потрібно більше, ніж одна мова Ласкаво просимо Однієї мови ніколи не достатньо Ласкаво просимо (Ukranian)

Több nyelven mondd el a mesét. Üdvözlégy. Egy nyelv sosem elég. Üdvözlégy. (Hungarian)

Ai nevoie de mai mult de o limbă pentru a spune o poveste. Bun venit. O singură limbă nu este niciodată de ajuns. Bun venit. (Romanian)

Nutamk atelk aq newte situm wjit a'tukwaqan. Pjila'si. Newte situn mu tepianuk. Pjila'si.

Det behövs mer än ett språk för att berätta en historia. Välkomna. Ett språk räcker aldrig. Välkomna. (Swedish)

Příběh potřebuje více než jeden jazyk Vitejte Nestačí mít jediný jazyk Vitejte (Czech)

Потребни се повеќе јазици за да се раскаже приказна, Добредојдовте Еден јазик никогаш не е доволен Добредојдовте (Macedonian)

Potrebno je više jezika da bi se ispričala priča Dobrodošli Jedan jezik nikad nije dovoljan Dobrodošli (Montenegrin)

ஒரு கதை சொல்ல மேற்பட்ட தாய்மொழி எடுக்கும் நல்வரவு ஒரு மொழி போதுமானதாக இருக்காது நல்வரவு (Tamil)

Več jezikov je potrebnih, da poveš zgodbo Dobrodošli En sam jezik ni nikoli dovolj Dobrodošli (Slovene)

Ганц хэлээр тавтай морил гэх нь хэзээ ч хангалтгүй бөгөөд олон хэлээр өгүүлэн ярилцах нь и��үү нээлттэй (Mongolian)

Mae angen mwy nag un tafod i gyfleu stori Croeso Mae un iaith byth yn ddigon Croeso (Welsh)

Een taal is nooit genoeg Welkom Er is meer dan een taal nodig om een verhaal te vertellen Welkom (Dutch)

É preciso mais de uma língua para se contar uma história Bem vindo Uma língua nunca é o suficiente Bem vindo (Brazilian Portuguese)

Inachukua zaidi kuliko lugha moja tu kutoa. Karibu. Hadithimoja ni kamwe ya kutosha. Karibu. (Swahili)

Precísase mais dunha lingua para contar unha historia Benvido Unha lingua nunca é abondo Benvido (Galician)

Go tsaá dipuô tse dintsi go bolela polelô, O amogetswe Puô ê nnwe ga e nke e lekana, O amogetswe. (Tswana)

Potrebno je više od jednog jezika kako bi se ispričala priča. Dobrodošao Jedan jezik nikada nije dovoljan Dobrodošao (Croatian)

Dit vat meer as een taal om ‘n verhaal te vertel Welkom Een taal is nooit genoeg nie Welkom (Africaans)

Tarinan kertomiseen tarvitaan enemmän kuin yksi kieli, Tervetuloa Yksi kieli ei ikinä riitä Tervetuloa (Finnish)

Potrzeba więcej niż jednego języka by opowiedzieć historię Witaj Jeden język nigdy nie wystarczy Witaj (Polish)

Der skal mere end et sprog til at fortælle en historie Velkommen Et sprog er aldrig nok Velkommen (Danish)

Нужен е повече от един език, за да се разкаже една история Добре дошли Никога не е достатъчен само един език. Добре дошли (Bulgarian)

يحتاج الأمر أكثر من لغة واحدة لتحكي قصة مرحباً لا تكفي لغة واحدة ابداً مرحباً (Arabic)

Nuk mjafton vetëm një gjuhë për të rrëfyer një tregim. Mirësevjen Një gjuhë nuk mjafton asnjëherë. Mirësevjen (Albanian)

Il faut plus qu'une langue pour raconter une histoire Bienvenue Une langue n'est jamais assez Bienvenue (French)

                                             צריך יותר משפה אחת כדי לספר סיפור                                                                                   ברוך הבא                                                               שפה אחת לעולם אינה די                                                                              ברוכה הבאה (Hebrew)

Zimatengera chilankhulo choposa chimodzi kuti ufotokoze nkhani. Takulandirani. Chilankhulo chimodzi ndi chosakwanila. Takulandirani. (Chichewa)

Hizkuntza bakarra baino gehiago behar dira istorio bat kontatzeko, Ongi etorri Hizkuntza bat inoiz ez da aski Ongi etorri. (Basque)

物語を伝えるのは複数の言語がいります。 歓迎。 一つの言語は決して十分ではありません。 ようこそ。(Japanese)

Butuh lebih dari satu bahasa untuk menceritakan sebuah kisah Memakai Satu bahasa tidak pernah cukup Memakai (Indonesian)

Чтобы рассказать историю, надо больше одного языка Добро пожаловать Одного языка никогда не достаточно Добро пожаловать (Russian)

Om in ferhaal te fertellen hast mear as ien taal noadich, Wolkom Ien taal is noait genôch Wolkom (Frisian)

Dobra Dosli Jedan jezik nikad nosta Dobra Dosli (Bosnian)

Benvegut Una lenga basta pas jamai Cal mai d'una lenga per contar una istòria Benvegut (Occitan)

Tha ea 'toirt barrachd air aon chànan a dh' innseadh sgeulachd Fàilte 'S e aon chànan riamh gu leòr Fàilte (Gaelic)

It's ever so ard to tell a story wiv one langwidge cummin and av a cuppa One langwidge ain't nuffink like innuf cummin and av a cuppa (South West London)

It taks mare than wan type o patter tae tell a yarn. Mak yersel at hame. Wan patter is naer enough. Mak yersel at hame. (Glaswegian)

Welcome. C’mon ben the living room. Come join our brilliant gathering.

[rightsinexile]

Game-changer for Sri Lankan Tamil activists seeking asylum in the UK

This piece was written by Laura Smith and published by Free Movement on 7 June 2021. The full judgement of the High Court can be found here.

The new Sri Lanka country guidance judgment in KK and RS (Sur place activities, risk) Sri Lanka (CG) [2021] UKUT 130 (IAC) “clarifies and supplements” the previous decision in GJ and others [2013] UKUT 319 (IAC) “with particular reference to sur place activities”. GJ was a complicated and often seemingly contradictory decision with a headnote that led many asylum claims from Tamil activists to fail. KK and RS changes all that. 

What sur place activities is the Sri Lankan government interested in?

Having a “significant role” in Tamil diaspora activity remains the litmus test. The major problem with GJ was that the term was not defined. Helpfully, the Upper Tribunal in KK and RS explains that it is not necessary to have a formal role, to be a member of a particular organisation, or to be high profile or prominent (see paragraphs 455-456). The tribunal provides a non-exhaustive list of relevant factors. [Read more here.]