Sri Lankan migrant employees in a fast unto death in Iraq; Sri Lanka government shuns responsibility stating they are illegal

Thirty Sri Lankan migrate workers have commenced a fast unto death in Al Amara, Iraq, reported a local TV station.

They say they urge the authorities to pay them the 19 months arrears of the unpaid salaries and allow them to return to Sri Lanka. The relevant employees began a fast unto death previously also but suspended the action as the officials of the Iraq government pledged to grant them solutions, reported the TV station.

A spokesman of the Lebanon embassy of Sri Lanka said to the TV station that the officials are trying hard to solve the issue.

However, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) said that it was unable to directly intervene to resolve the issue of these migrant workers.

Due to the volatile conditions in the country, the Sri Lankan government had brought the country's migrants back to the country and stopped sending any new workers to Iraq, said SLFEB Chairman, Kingsley Ranawana adding that Sri Lankan migrant workers who are on a fast unto death in Iraq had however, illegally entered the country.


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More Sri Lankans risk lives in the efforts to migrate to Australia

(October 12, Colombo - Lanka Polity) More Sri Lankans are taking risks to migrate to Australia looking for green pastures in small fishing crafts despite repeated warnings of Australia to avoid illegal migration. Last week, media reported that Australia had hired a advertising agency to make aware the Sri Lankans on the risks of their efforts to migrate to Down Under.

However, with the trying economic conditions and the human rights conditions in the island, some people do not hesitate to pay huge sums of money to traffickers to take them to Australia in fishing craft in a very dangerous journey.

Indonesian authorities yesterday captured a group of about 260 migrants from Sri Lanka who are suspected of trying to sail to Australia, a navy spokesman said to AP Sunday.

An Indonesian warship intercepted a cargo ship carrying the group off Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, said Lt. Col. Supriono, a spokesman for the Western Fleet of Indonesian Navy to AP.

The report further said that

He said the navy then sent three other warships to help transport them to Merak seaport in Banten province on the western end of Java. Some of the migrants refused to be taken off the cargo ship.

Harry Purwanto, head of Banten immigration office said the group, which includes some women and children, would be kept in Banten while they were identified and then would be transferred to immigration detention centers in the capital of Jakarta or other big cities.

Migrants from war-ravaged countries often sail through Indonesian waters on their way to Australia.

Last week, Indonesian police in eastern province of East Nusatenggara detained 22 illegal migrants — 19 Iranians, two Iraqis and one Afghan — who were trying to get to Australia.