Sri Lanka Faces Threat of 100,000 Illegal "Rohingya" Migrants, Warns Public Security Minister Based on Intel
- Sri Lanka's intelligence services have revealed plans to bring 100,000 illegal migrants, including Rohingya, into the country as part of an organized human trafficking network.
- The Sri Lanka Navy recently intercepted a trawler carrying 115 Rohingya individuals, including 25 children, off Mullaitivu on December 19, 2024.
- Investigations show these individuals paid traffickers significant sums: 50 million in their currency to agents and an additional 80 million for the journey.
- Minister Ananda Wijepala emphasized this as a severe social issue, with ongoing police investigations to identify local and international networks behind the scandal.
- The current group is classified as illegal immigrants, but they will be treated according to international refugee laws if deemed genuine refugees. (Facilities are provided through he Department of Immigration and Emigration)
- MP Rauff Hakeem urged against deporting the group to Myanmar, suggesting relocation to a third country with UNHRC assistance.
- Discussions have begun between Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry and Myanmar regarding the situation.
Should Sri Lanka take in the current 115 migrants and risk sending a message that the country is a target for trafficking networks? Or does the possibility of 100,000 illegal migrants in the future make this an unsustainable humanitarian challenge?
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