Tamil Solidarity demands that Tamil refugees held in Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre must not be deported. Attempts to forcefully return Tamil political activists to Sri Lanka should be seen as accessory to gross violation of human rights.
These refugees will almost certainly face persecution by the Sri Lankan state. Ample evidence has been released by various human rights organisations detailing how the Sri Lankan government systematically persecutes those who are returned.
Tamil Solidarity has discovered that a number of the refugees held in Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre are those who consistently took part in various political activities against the Sri Lankan government. Some are not able to get sufficient evidence from Sri Lanka, as demanded by the Home Office and some had terrible difficulties with translations.
The abduction and disappearances of politically active people continues in the aftermath of the genocidal slaughter by the Sri Lankan regime in 2009. The British government has acknowledged the ongoing violation of human rights there and the Sri Lankan government stands accused of war crimes.
In light of all this, the Home Office decision to deport refugees back to Sri Lanka is shocking and must be urgently challenged.
The names of some of those who detained are:
- Sivanantham Karthig
- Janahan Sivanathan
- Rajagopal Viswarththanan
- Mayooran Yoogendran
Tamil Solidarity demands that the Home Office stop the deportation immediately.
We also demand that the refugees should be released from these prison-like detention centres and given access to decent legal help should be made available.
Please publish this widely.
Please send you letters of protest to: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk, detainee.printing1@gmail.com and send copies to: info@tamilsolidarity.org
And phone through protests to Harmondsworth: 020 8283 3850 and the Home Office: 020 7035 4848
For more information, please contact: 07908050217