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More illegal immigrants nabbed

by Asanga Warnakulasuriya

The illegal immigrants' toll set a new record yesterday when Mt.Lavinia Police nabbed yet another a group of 165 would be immigrants from Mt. Lavinia all set to migrate to Italy

Some of the 165 South Asian would-be illegal immigrants detained by Police yesterday as they were preparing to leave for Italy. AFP

"With the latest arrest made by Police the number of would be illegal immigrants had increased to 651 only for the month of July, the highest ever recorded in a month," SSP of the Anti-Human Smuggling Unit of CID D.Y.S. Samaratunga told the Daily News yesterday. The SSP said that among the group were 75 Pakistanis, 84 Indians, 14 Bangaladeshis and two Sri Lankans. The CID team had found that most of the immigrants had valid documents to arrive in Sri Lanka, but failed to produce any with regard to Italy.

When questioned about the reasons behind the increase in the number of immigrants, the SSP revealed that the human smugglers have exploited the loophole in the coastguard system in Sri Lanka. The coast is guarded solely by the Sri Lanka Navy, which mostly concentrates on the Northern part of the country. Human traffickers take the advantage of this situation, the SSP said.

The strict coastal guard systems in India and Pakistan prevents smugglers from making such illegal exits. This makes them use the safer route through Sri Lanka. Most would-be immigrants who come to Sri Lanka legally with valid documents migrate to European countries illegally, the SSP added.

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