Over 60 Sri Lankan Asylum seekers detained over 1000 days on Diego Garcia

Facing an urgent and escalating threat of harm to migrant children detained on Diego Garcia, Foreign Secretary David Lammy requested their relocation to the UK on July 16th, as reported in the Solicitors Journal. This request to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper follows a warning from the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Commissioner, who reported severe living conditions and recent suicide attempts among the detainees.

According to Foreign Secretary Lammy’s appeal, relocating 39 asylum seekers, including 16 children, to Sri Lanka is not possible due to ongoing international protection claims. These individuals are still awaiting asylum or refugee status, and their relocation would breach international law.

The situation for over 60 Sri Lankan asylum seekers, including 16 children detained for more than 1000 days, has become increasingly dire. The BIOT Commissioner highlighted the inadequate living conditions on the island, significantly impacting the detainees’ mental health. Legal representatives have called for immediate government intervention to relocate this vulnerable group to safety.

During a court hearing on Tuesday, Justice Obi reviewed submissions detailing the crisis within the detention compound. The court was informed that the BIOT Commissioner acknowledged the inability to meet the needs of the detained children, further complicating the situation.

Justice Obi has ordered the judicial review hearing to be reconvened on Diego Garcia in September. The Foreign Secretary’s request to relocate the asylum seekers to the UK underscores the urgency of the situation to prevent further harm and ensure the safety and well-being of the detainees.

Tom Short, a solicitor from the legal firm Leigh Day representing some of the claimants, noted the severity of the situation, citing significant concerns regarding the treatment of the asylum seekers. .

‘In the face of multiple suicide attempts and grave offences against children, it is incumbent on the UK Government to take decisive action to ensure our clients are relocated immediately,’ he said.

Tom Short called for immediate government action and a timely, effective resolution to the prolonged detention of the asylum seekers.

‘For years our clients have been deprived of the most modest of freedoms and the most basic of amenities all at great cost to the UK taxpayer and it is imperative that this desperate situation is brought to an end without any further delay,’ Tom Short said.