A further 15 Sri Lankan irregular maritime arrivals have been returned to Colombo after failing to meet Australia’s international obligations, a spokesman for the Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship said today.
The group of irregular maritime arrivals departed Christmas Island earlier on Thursday. Their return takes the number of Sri Lankans sent home to 1285 – 1072 of them involuntarily since August last year.
“Returning the group to Sri Lanka sends a powerful message,” the spokesman said.
“This is making it crystal clear that those who pay smugglers are throwing their money away and risking their lives in the process.
“When people arrive in Australia without authorisation, any claims they make for their reasons to travel to Australia are assessed by the department.
“If these claims are not covered by Australia’s international obligations, they will be returned to their homeland wherever possible.
“We will continue to transfer people to Nauru and Manus Island.”
People returned involuntarily do not have access to reintegration assistance.
Jailed for identity fraud
Meanwhile a Sri Lankan-born man was jailed for three-months in Melbourne today for supplying false information in his application for permanent residence and subsequent Australian citizenship.
The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) successfully prosecuted Surendran Rajendran, who hid his true identity and background when applying for a visa to Australia.
A department spokesman said Rajendran was charged with offences under the Migration Act 1958, Citizenship Act 1948 and other breaches of Commonwealth law.
“In 2007, this man made claims to DIAC that he was another person and was subsequently granted permanent residence through the general skilled migration program, and then Australian citizenship in 2010,” the spokesman said.
“DIAC later learned that documentation supplied to support his claimed identity was falsified.”
Rajendran received a three-month prison sentence for the offences in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court today.
