Lankan asylum seeker deported from Australia

A Sri Lankan asylum-seeker has been forced home by the Australian government after the failure of his last-ditch appeal to the United Nations.

Roshan Fernando was deported to Colombo on Saturday after the immigration department was told the UN's High Commission for Human Rights would not investigate his case.

On Friday, advocates for Fernando asked the commission to investigate. Speaking to The Australian from Sri Lanka, Fernando said he was sad he had been returned to his homeland.

The 28-year-old said he was free to leave the airport on his arrival but the police had visited his home looking for him since his return. Associates of the people-smuggler who owned the boat he and 11 others travelled on to the West Australian coast had also been looking for him.