By Sarah Hannan
Vavuniya town became restless as a group of refugees from the Negombo Police station were transferred to the government-run rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam.
The first batch comprising 35 male refugees were transferred on Friday (17), as informed by the Negombo Police. Nineteen Pakistani and 16 Afghan nationals were brought to Poonthottam Rehabilitation Centre with the mediation of the UNHCR Sri Lanka office.
News about the decision to transfer more refugees to Vavuniya reached the religious clergy and the civil society of Vavuniya, which prompted the group to launch a protest against providing shelter to these displaced refugees.
Following a meeting held on Tuesday (21) at the Vavuniya Urban Council auditorium in a mark of protest for transferring the foreign refugees to Poonthottam, the Chief Incumbent of the Madukanda Sri Dalada Viharaya Ven. Muwaetagama Ananda Thera said: “The people from the Vavuniya District firmly oppose the decision to bring the Pakistani refugees here. The religious leaders of all faiths, along with the civil society of Vavuniya took a unanimous decision to send a letter to the authorities, requesting to move them to a different district.”
Ven. Ananda Thera also noted that the letter requests the immediate removal of the Pakistani and Afghan refugees from the premises and was sent to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Police, and to the Commandant of the Vanni Army Camp.
We then contacted the rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam to inquire into the current situation; however, the coordinating officer attached to the Sri Lanka Army informed The Sunday Morning that they were instructed not to comment on the matter as they were not directly involved in transferring the refugees and to direct all queries to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) office.
With the monsoon battering the island with its full force, the living conditions of these refugees are deteriorating fast. The area that is designated at the Negombo Police station does not have surrounding walls, which leaves these families exposed to the elements.
Meanwhile, the Ahamaddiya Centre in Pasyala has separated the men and set out tents outside, so that the women and children can be provided shelter inside. They are now exposed to the natural elements and the downpour which sets in during sundown and tends to go on till the early hours the next day.
While the matter seems to be reaching a boiling point with the refugees facing further inconveniences, The Sunday Morning reached out to the UNHCR Spokesperson for Switzerland, Hungary, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan Babar Baloch who is stationed at the head office in Geneva to gain clarity on the issue.
Excerpts of the interview:
What is the time period that is taken to process asylum papers for these refugees?
There is no fixed time period for processing any asylum request. The length of the processing depends on many factors including when the individual/family arrived and if they are asylum seekers or refugees.
In Sri Lanka, registration is carried out within a month of arrival, but refugee status determination – the legal or administrative process by which governments or UNHCR (this can vary from country to country) determine whether a person seeking international protection is considered a refugee under international, regional, or national law – takes longer, as it is a complex process.
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking international protection but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined. A refugee is someone who has been recognised as such under the 1951 Convention. A refugee is someone who has fled their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
Since the attacks, the refugees have been housed at Police stations and mosques. Is the UNHCR looking to move these refugees to a more people-friendly place?
Yes. We are working very closely with the Sri Lankan Government to find more suitable temporary locations where the refugees can stay.
Some of these refugees were transferred to the Government-owned rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam, Vavuniya. For how long are they going to be held there?
The UNHCR has asked the Government to identify temporary relocation sites to enable asylum seekers and refugees to live in dignity and safety during this difficult time until they are able to return to their previous residences or other solutions are found for them.
Is it true that the families have to fend for themselves after they are provided transitional shelter in Sri Lanka?
In general, the asylum seekers and refugees in Sri Lanka are urban refugees and, as is the case all over the world, they find their own accommodation. UNHCR provides limited monetary support to refugees to help them meet their expenses as they are not allowed to work during their stay in Sri Lanka.
Those affected by the aftermath of the 21 April attacks have been provided with food, medicines, shelter materials and other relief items by UNHCR, its partners, and civil society.
What makes Sri Lanka a better country to provide transitional shelter for refugees that are fleeing persecution?
All states have an obligation to not turn people who are fleeing to seek safety away from their borders. Sri Lanka is a country that has experienced conflict and has sent refugees all over the world. It is therefore well placed to understand the reasons why these asylum seekers and refugees have fled their homes and why they are seeking temporary refuge in Sri Lanka.
With the present situation, will the UNHCR stop accepting refugees to Sri Lanka for transition?
The UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations member states, of which Sri Lanka is one, to extend international protection to refugees. It therefore cannot refuse to register the claims of those who have crossed an international border seeking asylum or to determine their claims.
Vavuniya town became restless as a group of refugees from the Negombo Police station were transferred to the government-run rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam.
The first batch comprising 35 male refugees were transferred on Friday (17), as informed by the Negombo Police. Nineteen Pakistani and 16 Afghan nationals were brought to Poonthottam Rehabilitation Centre with the mediation of the UNHCR Sri Lanka office.
News about the decision to transfer more refugees to Vavuniya reached the religious clergy and the civil society of Vavuniya, which prompted the group to launch a protest against providing shelter to these displaced refugees.
Following a meeting held on Tuesday (21) at the Vavuniya Urban Council auditorium in a mark of protest for transferring the foreign refugees to Poonthottam, the Chief Incumbent of the Madukanda Sri Dalada Viharaya Ven. Muwaetagama Ananda Thera said: “The people from the Vavuniya District firmly oppose the decision to bring the Pakistani refugees here. The religious leaders of all faiths, along with the civil society of Vavuniya took a unanimous decision to send a letter to the authorities, requesting to move them to a different district.”
Ven. Ananda Thera also noted that the letter requests the immediate removal of the Pakistani and Afghan refugees from the premises and was sent to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Police, and to the Commandant of the Vanni Army Camp.
We then contacted the rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam to inquire into the current situation; however, the coordinating officer attached to the Sri Lanka Army informed The Sunday Morning that they were instructed not to comment on the matter as they were not directly involved in transferring the refugees and to direct all queries to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) office.
With the monsoon battering the island with its full force, the living conditions of these refugees are deteriorating fast. The area that is designated at the Negombo Police station does not have surrounding walls, which leaves these families exposed to the elements.
Meanwhile, the Ahamaddiya Centre in Pasyala has separated the men and set out tents outside, so that the women and children can be provided shelter inside. They are now exposed to the natural elements and the downpour which sets in during sundown and tends to go on till the early hours the next day.
While the matter seems to be reaching a boiling point with the refugees facing further inconveniences, The Sunday Morning reached out to the UNHCR Spokesperson for Switzerland, Hungary, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan Babar Baloch who is stationed at the head office in Geneva to gain clarity on the issue.
Excerpts of the interview:
What is the time period that is taken to process asylum papers for these refugees?
There is no fixed time period for processing any asylum request. The length of the processing depends on many factors including when the individual/family arrived and if they are asylum seekers or refugees.
In Sri Lanka, registration is carried out within a month of arrival, but refugee status determination – the legal or administrative process by which governments or UNHCR (this can vary from country to country) determine whether a person seeking international protection is considered a refugee under international, regional, or national law – takes longer, as it is a complex process.
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking international protection but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined. A refugee is someone who has been recognised as such under the 1951 Convention. A refugee is someone who has fled their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
Since the attacks, the refugees have been housed at Police stations and mosques. Is the UNHCR looking to move these refugees to a more people-friendly place?
Yes. We are working very closely with the Sri Lankan Government to find more suitable temporary locations where the refugees can stay.
Some of these refugees were transferred to the Government-owned rehabilitation centre in Poonthottam, Vavuniya. For how long are they going to be held there?
The UNHCR has asked the Government to identify temporary relocation sites to enable asylum seekers and refugees to live in dignity and safety during this difficult time until they are able to return to their previous residences or other solutions are found for them.
Is it true that the families have to fend for themselves after they are provided transitional shelter in Sri Lanka?
In general, the asylum seekers and refugees in Sri Lanka are urban refugees and, as is the case all over the world, they find their own accommodation. UNHCR provides limited monetary support to refugees to help them meet their expenses as they are not allowed to work during their stay in Sri Lanka.
Those affected by the aftermath of the 21 April attacks have been provided with food, medicines, shelter materials and other relief items by UNHCR, its partners, and civil society.
What makes Sri Lanka a better country to provide transitional shelter for refugees that are fleeing persecution?
All states have an obligation to not turn people who are fleeing to seek safety away from their borders. Sri Lanka is a country that has experienced conflict and has sent refugees all over the world. It is therefore well placed to understand the reasons why these asylum seekers and refugees have fled their homes and why they are seeking temporary refuge in Sri Lanka.
With the present situation, will the UNHCR stop accepting refugees to Sri Lanka for transition?
The UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations member states, of which Sri Lanka is one, to extend international protection to refugees. It therefore cannot refuse to register the claims of those who have crossed an international border seeking asylum or to determine their claims.