Urgent request to relocate Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Diego Garcia amid crisis
![The United Kingdom removed the people who lived in the Chagos Islands to establish the military base. The displaced Chagossians have taken legal action arguing the UK illegally maintains sovereignty over the islands [file: Mike Corder/AP Photo]](https://southasiancorrespondent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sri-300x235.jpg)
Colombo : Amidst mounting concerns over the well-being of Sri Lankan asylum seekers detained on Diego Garcia, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urgently requested their relocation to the UK.
The appeal, made on July 16th and reported in the Solicitors Journal, follows alarming reports from the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Commissioner regarding severe living conditions and recent suicide attempts among the detainees.
Currently, 60 Sri Lankan asylum seekers, including 16 children, have been detained for more than 1000 days in what has been described as dire circumstances on the remote island. According to Foreign Secretary Lammy, relocating these individuals to Sri Lanka is not feasible due to pending international protection claims, which could potentially violate international law.
Legal representatives, including Tom Short from the firm Leigh Day, have emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to ensure the safety of the detainees. Short underscored the severity of the situation, particularly highlighting concerns over the treatment of vulnerable asylum seekers, including multiple suicide attempts and inadequate living conditions.
The case was further examined during a recent court hearing where Justice Obi reviewed the distressing conditions within the detention compound. The BIOT Commissioner’s acknowledgment of the inability to adequately care for the detained children has intensified calls for swift action to relocate them to a safer environment.
In response to the escalating crisis, Justice Obi has scheduled a judicial review hearing on Diego Garcia in September to further address the urgent humanitarian concerns. The Foreign Secretary’s plea to relocate the asylum seekers to the UK underscores the critical nature of the situation and the immediate need to prevent further harm.
As pressure mounts for a resolution, advocates like Tom Short continue to advocate for prompt governmental action to end the prolonged detention of these asylum seekers, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding their fundamental rights and well-being.
