Drop in SL asylum seekers - UNHCR

The number of asylum-seekers from countries including Sri Lanka seeking to live in the industrialized world continues to fall, a latest report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.

Accordingly, it is now almost half the level it was a decade ago, the UNHCR said in its annual snapshot of asylum trends.

Sri Lankan ranks last among leading countries of origin of asylum-seekers including Afghanistan, China, Iraq, Russia, Somalia, Iran, Pakistan and Nigeria.

The UNHCR in 2010 said Sri Lankans originating from the north are no longer in need of international protection under broader refugee criteria or complementary forms of protection solely on the basis of risk of indiscriminate harm.

'In light of the improved human rights and security situation in Sri Lanka, there is no longer a need for group-based protection mechanisms or for a presumption of eligibility for Sri Lankans of Tamil ethnicity originating from the north of the country', the UNHCR 2010 report stated. The UN agency also stated that Sri Lanka has experienced 'significant political developments' during the first half of 2010.

It adds, 'some areas of the north such as Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts that had previously been under the control of the LTTE for decades are now governed by the central authorities.' UNHCR also notes the establishment of 'a truth and reconciliation commission mandated to examine the "lessons to be learnt from events" between February 2002 and May 2009'.(PRIU)