trafficking to become non-bailable offense

Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers:

'via Blog this'He said human trafficking would be made a non-bailable offence.

Amendments have been drafted based on a report submitted by a committee comprising officials from the External Affairs Ministry and the Attorney General’s Department.

“We have to take a sympathetic view on the victims and will not increase the existing prison term of three months where they are concerned. But we have proposed maximum possible punishment to those who have made human smuggling a business while risking the lives of thousands of unsuspecting victims,” the Immigration and Emigration chief said.

He said it was necessary to obtain the cooperation of countries such as Australia, Canada, the US and those in the European Union because these were the most likely destinations of a majority of illegal emigrants. “Our efforts to put an end to human smuggling will not be a success just by introducing stringent regulations if countries of destinations do not cooperate with us. They too must reject outright all illegal immigrants to their countries and laws must be introduced to discourage them,” he added.

Some 1,000 Sri Lankans are among nearly 6,000 asylum seekers held in detention camps in Australia, which is an attractive destination for illegal emigrants from Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the “Q” Branch of the Tamil Nadu Police foiled an attempt by 28 Sri Lankan refugees to cross over to Australia illegally from the Cuddalore Port area on Tuesday.