Navy nabbed over 800 illegal migrants last month

Ridma Dissanayake

The Navy apprehended over 800 asylum seekers bound for Australia illegally during the last month along with a number of multi - day trawlers, the Navy Media Unit said yesterday.

Asylum seekers arrested by the Navy

The Navy arrested 802 asylum seekers along with 13 multi-day trawlers from the beginning of September during operations conducted in the seas.

They apprehended these persons from Mirissa, Trincomalee, Galle, Pigeon Island, Negombo, Koduwakattu, Dondra and Thoduwawa. Navy sources said around 520 among those arrested are Tamils while the others are Sinhalese and Muslims. Around 650 out of these are males,100 females and others children.

Those arrested are residents of Muttur, Thalaimannar, Aluthgama,Beruwela, Kegalle, Negombo, Hatton, Wennappuwa, Arachchikattuwa, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Valachchenai, Kalpitiya, Batticaloa, Puttalam, Colombo, Udappuwa, Chilaw, Pulmudai, Dikwella, Kilinochchi, Dewundara, Tangalle and Weligama. Navy Media Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasooriya said the Navy arrested 2,386 asylum seekers bound for Australia during the last nine months.

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry said they will cancel the registration of fishing vessels used to transport illegal asylum seekers to Australia. According to Emigration and Immigration Department sources, authorities arrested around 3,000 asylum seekers trying to flee to Australia illegally during the last nine months.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna directed officials to cancel the registration of these fishing trawlers.

Boat operators charge the value of the boat from illegal migrants, ministry sources said.