London asks Colombo for a crackdown on illegal immigration

The economic crisis has pushed many Sri Lankans to migrate. After controls and rejections stopped migration by sea to Australia, the UK became the second choice. The network of smugglers providing forged passports and documents and the testimonies of those trying to get to the UK.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - London is appealing to the government in Colombo to cooperate in stopping the irregular migration of Sri Lankans to Britain. Last week the British High Commissioner to the Asian country Sarah Hulton met with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles asking for greater cooperation to resolve the issue.

Director of the India and Indo-Pacific Section of the Commonwealth and Development Office Ben Mellor also attended the summit, partly because the issue of illegal immigration is a source of concern for both countries. 

Speaking to AsiaNews, political analyst Ruwan Malalaskera points out that "the request reflects the British government's commitment to ensuring the integrity of the migration system and the management of departures in accordance with the law."

On the ground, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain UK visas, as Vadivel Karthigesu and Ambiga Selvaratnam from Jaffna and Kankasanthurei in the Northern Province and Mathipalan Pathmarajah and Ganesh Sivarajah from Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the Eastern Province confirm. "In this way," they claim, "people turn to traffickers to obtain false documents" with which to expatriate. 

It is widely believed that 'the vast majority' of irregular migrants use 'fake passports' to try to reach the United Kingdom, issued by 'agents with years of experience in preparing fake documents' for a 'hugely profitable business'.

Arjun Pillamarai, a pro-human rights activist in Colombo, reports that 'between 80 and 85 per cent of people who migrate from Sri Lanka do so using false passports' in the hope of finding work. 'Most of them,' he adds, 'apply for asylum and hope that they will eventually be allowed to work in Britain'. 

Due to the economic crisis, last year the majority of migrants tried to reach Australia's shores on fishing boats but the navy in Colombo intercepted and turned many of them away. Hence the decision to return overland to the UK, first passing through India, as is evident from the accounts of people waiting to leave. Suresh Sritharan, from Alaveddy in Jaffna, is in the capital waiting to leave for London.

"I don't want to go back to Jaffna because I have sold everything, including my house, fields and motorbike. There are many people like me,' he adds, 'who are planning to leave soon. I will learn English, volunteer, whatever I can for the UK. Thivendran and Shobna Aruliah, two children aged nine and six, also from Jaffna but now in a single room in Colombo waiting to travel, hope through migration to give the children 'a better future'.

"Here we have only two meals a day. Sometimes, our children go to bed hungry, they cannot go to school because they do not have books, backpacks or shoes. I am sure we can adapt to life [in the UK]. Most of the residents of our village have left for Australia or Canada. We also hope to leave as soon as possible," they conclude..