https://sputnikglobe.com/20220822/australia-india-providing-fuel-supplies-to-sri-lankan-navy-air-force-to-maintain-maritime-security-1099843800.html
Australia, India Providing Fuel Supplies to Sri Lankan Navy, Air Force to Maintain Maritime Security
Australia, India Providing Fuel Supplies to Sri Lankan Navy, Air Force to Maintain Maritime Security
Sputnik International
The economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the consequent shortages of fuel and other essentials have led to vulnerable groups fleeing the nation illegally by boat... 22.08.2022, Sputnik International
2022-08-22T10:10+0000
2022-08-22T10:10+0000
2023-02-14T06:57+0000
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Australia's High Commissioner to Colombo Paul Stephens said on Monday that Canberra has been working with New Delhi to provide fuel supplies to the Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force in a bid to combat illegal activities in the maritime domain.The announcement by the high commissioner came as migrants, most of them from the northern and eastern parts of the country, have continued to flee the nation illegally on boats amid the ongoing economic crisis, the worst in over seven decades.Many of the economic migrants who have fled Sri Lanka have tried to make their way to Australia. Overall, there has been a rise in the number of boats that have been intercepted by the Sri Lankan Navy at sea around the country since the economic crisis began in April.The Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement on August 19 that it had intercepted yet another boat carrying 10 people who were attempting to flee the country.The Australian Border Force (ABF) said in May that it had intercepted and turned back a boat carrying Sri Lankan migrants, raising fears in Canberra about a surge in illegal arrivals. The incident was the first boat interception around Australian waters in several years.The Australian government’s Operation Sovereign Borders, a 2013-era policy, seeks to intercept illegal asylum seekers at sea, and either return them to their port of origin or confine them to a detention center.Since coming to power in May, Australia’s new government headed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought to reinforce Colombo’s border protection in a bid to prevent people from leaving the island illegally.During a visit to Colombo in June, Australian Home Minister Clare O’Neil announced that Canberra would fund the installation of GPS trackers on 4,000 Sri Lankan vessels in a bid to “combat people smuggling.”Besides Australia, India has also sought to boost Sri Lanka’s maritime defenses to prevent illegal boats from leaving the country.The economic crisis has not only led to crippling fuel and food shortages, but also caused a year-on-year inflation of 60.8 percent in July.The UN-backed World Food Program (WFP) has also warned that around a quarter of the country’s households are forced to skip meals owing to the spillover effects of the crisis.Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt borrowings to the tune of $51 billion in April. In July, the government announced that it would place restrictions on the import of petroleum until the country tides over the current economic instability.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220624/sri-lankas-economic-crisis-fuels-new-wave-of-migration-as-hundreds-opt-for-dangerous-sea-voyages-1096613271.html
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india, sri lanka, australia, world food programme (wfp)
india, sri lanka, australia, world food programme (wfp)
Australia, India Providing Fuel Supplies to Sri Lankan Navy, Air Force to Maintain Maritime Security
10:10 GMT 22.08.2022 (Updated: 06:57 GMT 14.02.2023) The economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the consequent shortages of fuel and other essentials have led to vulnerable groups fleeing the nation illegally by boat. Australia remains one of the top choices for illegal Sri Lankan migrants. However, Canberra’s hardline border policy aims to intercept these boats at sea and turn them back.
Australia's High Commissioner to Colombo Paul Stephens said on Monday that Canberra has been working with New Delhi to provide fuel supplies to the Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force in a bid to combat illegal activities in the maritime domain.
"It will help our longstanding cooperation against transnational crime to continue. As Indian Ocean neighbors, all three counties share a commitment to preserving regional security," said Stephens, who took charge as Canberra’s top diplomat in Colombo last week.
The announcement by the high commissioner came as migrants, most of them from the northern and eastern parts of the country, have continued to
flee the nation illegally on boats amid the ongoing economic crisis, the worst in over seven decades.
Many of the economic migrants who have fled Sri Lanka have tried to make their way to Australia. Overall, there has been a rise in the number of boats that have been intercepted by the Sri Lankan Navy at sea around the country since the economic crisis began in April.
The Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement on August 19 that it had intercepted yet another boat carrying 10 people who were attempting to flee the country.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) said in May that it had intercepted and turned back a boat carrying Sri Lankan migrants, raising fears in Canberra about a surge in illegal arrivals. The incident was the first boat interception around Australian waters in several years.
The Australian government’s Operation Sovereign Borders, a 2013-era policy, seeks to intercept illegal asylum seekers at sea, and either return them to their port of origin or confine them to a detention center.
Since coming to power in May, Australia’s new government headed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought to reinforce Colombo’s border protection in a bid to prevent people from leaving the island illegally.
During a visit to Colombo in June, Australian Home Minister Clare O’Neil announced that Canberra would fund the installation of GPS trackers on 4,000 Sri Lankan vessels in a bid to “combat people smuggling.”
Besides Australia, India has also sought to boost Sri Lanka’s maritime defenses to prevent illegal boats from leaving the country.
The Indian government said last week that it had gifted Dornier Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft to Colombo to combat “human and drug trafficking, smuggling and other organized forms of crime in its coastal waters more effectively.”
The economic crisis has not only led to crippling fuel and food shortages, but also caused a year-on-year inflation of 60.8 percent in July.
The UN-backed World Food Program (WFP) has also warned that around a quarter of the country’s households are forced to skip meals owing to the spillover effects of the crisis.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt borrowings to the tune of $51 billion in April. In July, the government announced that it would place restrictions on the import of petroleum until the country tides over the current economic instability.
