Colombo: Sri Lanka's court of appeal has ordered a halt to the deportation of Afghan, Iranian and Pakistani refugees before their asylum claims are fully assessed, an official said Saturday.
The court order came after a Pakistani woman challenged Sri Lanka's decision to expel foreign nationals despite warnings that doing so may violate international law.
A court official said judge A. W. A. Salam, head of the Court of Appeal, had on Friday ordered the defence ministry to suspend the deportations.
"The case will be called again on August 29," said Lakshan Dias, a Sri Lankan lawyer representing the Pakistani petitioner. "For the moment we have stopped the refoulement (forced return)."
He said the government had deported 28 foreigners in the past two weeks and arrested another 75 and were holding them at a detention centre in the island's south.
Another 1,800 foreigners, including Afghans, Iranians, Pakistanis and Palestinians, risked being sent back, he said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had expressed dismay over Colombo's arrest and deportation of dozens of foreign asylum seekers and warned that Colombo was in breach of its international obligations.
The UNHCR had said that deportations went against the principle of no forced return, or non-refoulement, enshrined in international law.
The agency added that returning an individual to a country where they would face a risk of torture was also prohibited under the UN's Convention Against Torture, which Sri Lanka had ratified.
Hundreds of Pakistani Christians and Afghans fleeing persecution in their countries have been arriving in Sri Lanka seeking UNHCR protection in the capital Colombo.
Sri Lanka had earlier defended the action taken against the asylum-seekers, saying that a state's responsibility to international obligations had to be "nuanced and balanced in the context of domestic compulsions".
Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry also accused the UNHCR of processing asylum claims too slowly, and of not taking responsibility for repatriating those whose refugee claims were rejected.
Sri Lanka recently tightened visa restrictions on Afghan and Pakistani nationals in a bid to discourage asylum seekers arriving on the island.
The court order came after a Pakistani woman challenged Sri Lanka's decision to expel foreign nationals despite warnings that doing so may violate international law.
A court official said judge A. W. A. Salam, head of the Court of Appeal, had on Friday ordered the defence ministry to suspend the deportations.
He said the government had deported 28 foreigners in the past two weeks and arrested another 75 and were holding them at a detention centre in the island's south.
Advertisement
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had expressed dismay over Colombo's arrest and deportation of dozens of foreign asylum seekers and warned that Colombo was in breach of its international obligations.
Advertisement
The agency added that returning an individual to a country where they would face a risk of torture was also prohibited under the UN's Convention Against Torture, which Sri Lanka had ratified.
Advertisement
Sri Lanka had earlier defended the action taken against the asylum-seekers, saying that a state's responsibility to international obligations had to be "nuanced and balanced in the context of domestic compulsions".
Advertisement
Sri Lanka recently tightened visa restrictions on Afghan and Pakistani nationals in a bid to discourage asylum seekers arriving on the island.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
India Squad Selection vs Sri Lanka: Team Selection Meeting Rescheduled For This Day, Says Report Details Of India Coach Gautam Gambhir's 1st Meeting With BCCI Selectors: "Robust Exchange Of..." Virat Kohli On Holiday, Rohit Sharma Could Take 'Selfless Decision' For SL ODIs: Report Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai UP Banker Dies By Suicide After 6 Months Of Bullying, Body-Shaming Indian Among 6 People Killed In Oman Mosque Shooting Coast Guard Rescues 11 From Boat In Critical Condition Off Kerala Coast Tripura Man Beheads Mother With Sharp-Edged Weapon After Fight Over Money Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.