Sri Lanka seeks joint action to fight human smuggling

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

COLOMBO, Aug. 22 -- The Sri Lankan government on Thursday sought joint international action to combat human smuggling.

Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem said no amount of action taken locally will bring about a lasting solution to the people smuggling issue, unless the international community comes together to implement sustained and effective measures to prevent such activities.

He said that sustained international cooperation is also important to prevent the relocation of the illegal operations elsewhere with less stringent in application of the law.

Over the years, thousands of Sri Lankans have reached Australia by boat illegally but the government says most of them are economic migrants and not genuine political asylum seekers.

The Sri Lankan Justice Ministry quoted Hakeem as saying that it is no secret that the criminal syndicates who operate people smuggling networks, utilize the provisions of the Refugee Convention to the point of abuse, to obtain for those who are willing to pay their exorbitant fee, access to destination countries, by fraudulently claiming refugee status.

"It is my considered opinion that the best efforts made by the government of Sri Lanka and all other source and transit countries will be futile and ineffectual, in the absence of similar stringent measures being put in place by the destination countries, " he said.

The minister said that a clear signal has to be sent to the operators of people smuggling business and to those still contemplating and willing to take the perilous journey across the sea, that they have nothing to gain by endangering their lives and using up their life savings, since there is high potential that their destination country may not meet their expectations.

We Recommend

• Premier Li: We rely on farmers for a living
• Floods force evacuation of 80,800 people in NE China
• Beautiful Faroe Islands in Denmark
• Enjoy your time in Maldives
• Beijing Int'l Gifts, Premium & Houseware Exhibition opens
• Highlights of Guangdong Fashion Week