http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20111218_01

Diaspora's anti-deportation campaign losing steam
In spite of a conducting an expensive propaganda campaign targeting the Sri Lankan government over human rights issues, the Tamil Diaspora seems to be losing ground in Europe, with the UK stepping up deportations.
Senior External Affairs and Defence Ministry officials told The Sunday Island said that the international community shouldn't accommodate bogus political refugees and those entering countries using fraudulent travel documents.
Officials said that Friday's deportation of 58 Sri Lankans from the UK proved that the British government no longer took notice of propaganda carried out by various interested parties on behalf of those seeking to remain in the country on false pretexts.
British security personnel accompanied those deported on a special flight and handed them over to Sri Lankan authorities at the BIA. Among them were residents of several districts including the North, sources said.
They said that Sri Lanka should be grateful to Australia for taking a tough stand against bogus asylum seekers. The Australian position had contributed immensely to Sri Lanka's efforts to convince the international community to expose troublemakers.
Responding to a query by The Sunday Island, sources said that London based Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, British MPs and a section of the UK media had been campaigning against the deportations citing continuing human rights violations in post-war Sri Lanka. The Tamil Diaspora had even campaigned against deportations at cricket venues during Sri Lanka's last cricket tour of the UK.
Since last June UK Border Agency had carried out three large scale deportations to Sri Lanka amidst protests aimed at forcing the government to reverse its decision.
The UK has also tightened border controls this year and ordered punitive action against those seeking entry using fraudulent documents.
The Defence Ministry said that in the backdrop of thousands of terrorists released from detention facilities since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, claims of their being tortured sound ridiculous. In fact, the UK had provided considerable amount of funds in support of the ongoing rehabilitation and reintegration process handled by IOM (International Migration Organization).
Sources alleged that Sinhalese seeking asylum in the Europe and Australia cooperated with LTTE front organizations wanting to haul Sri Lankan government up before an international war crimes tribunal for alleged war crimes. Sources said that sending people abroad had been a lucrative business carried out by organized gangs.
In an attempt to halt deportations, LTTE front Tamils Against Genocide had lodged a petition in the High Court claiming the UK government failed in its obligation to review its deportations policy in light of new torture allegations.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the UK Border Agency has warned officials who are deciding on asylum claims that the NGOs have serious concerns about forcibly returned Tamils. However, the agency is also circulating a report which quotes senior Sri Lankan intelligence officials as saying Tamil detainees are inflicting wounds upon themselves in order to create scars that will support later asylum claims.
The Border Agency says it only deports individuals "when we are satisfied the individual has no international protection needs", and cites a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that not all Tamil asylum seekers are in need of protection.
Courtesy : Sunday Island