The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday nabbed 51 individuals who have been planning to illegally migrate from the island nation to Australia by the ocean route, based on an official assertion, a fourth such incident within the final one week owing to the continuing financial disaster within the nation.
In keeping with the Sri Lankan Navy, all these trying to illegally migrate have been arrested after a fishing trawler carrying them was seized within the japanese seas.
“A search operation carried out by the Navy within the japanese seas this morning (July 3, 2022) led to the seizure of a neighborhood multi-day fishing trawler carrying 51 individuals, who’re suspected to be on an unlawful migration try and a international nation through sea,” the assertion issued by the Navy mentioned.
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This was the fourth such incident within the final one week.
On Saturday, a group of the Navy, the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and the Police, arrested 24 people, all suspected to be illegally migrating to Australia, in Marawila on the western coast.
The arrests got here as they have been lodged within the locality, awaiting emigrate from the island by sea, the Navy mentioned.
Equally, on June 27 and 28 over 100 unlawful immigrants have been arrested.
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The police mentioned such makes an attempt to flee the nation are as a result of ongoing financial disaster and have elevated for the reason that early a part of this yr.
The federal government of Australia for a few years now carried out native media campaigns to discourage individuals from falling victims to immigration rackets.
The nearly-bankrupt nation, with an acute international foreign money disaster that resulted in international debt default, had introduced in April that it’s suspending practically USD 7 billion international debt reimbursement due for this yr out of about USD 25 billion due by 2026. Sri Lanka’s complete international debt stands at USD 51 billion.
Sri Lankans proceed to languish in lengthy gas and cooking gasoline queues as the federal government is unable to seek out {dollars} to fund imports.
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