Motion in UK Parl. on deporting Tamils

26 May 2012 04:18 am Views - 5770

A formal motion submitted for debate in the UK Parliament has urged the British Government to take urgent action to review its policy of deporting Tamils to Sri Lanka ‘so that further deaths and human rights abuses can be prevented.’

Early Day Motion (EDM) 136 on the ‘Deportation of Tamils to Sri Lanka’ tabled in the House of Commons on May 23 has called upon Britain to halt ‘the forced return of a group of Tamil asylum seekers on charter flight PVT030 on 31 May 2012.’

The EDM on Sri Lanka has expressed concern over the April 2012 killing of Easwarathasan Kietheeswaran, a Tamil who was deported to Sri Lanka, and has drawn attention to the concerns raised by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch of the “significant risk” to Tamils returned to Sri Lanka.

Virendra Sharma, Labour MP for Ealing, Southall is the primary sponsor of the motion. The other sponsors are Peter Bottomley (Conservative Party MP for Worthing West); Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party MP for Foyle); Andrew George (Liberal Democrats MP for St Ives); John McDonnell (Labour Party MP for Hayes and Harlington); and Alan Meale (Labour Party MP for Mansfield). (Ayesha Zuhair)