COLOMBO, Nov 07, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Sri Lanka and Australia will commence discussions in Colombo on Monday to strengthen maritime security to curb human trafficking to the Australian soil, Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry sources said on Saturday.
The high profile Australian delegation, including Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and John McCarthy, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's special envoy, will discuss with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama the issue of illegal migration.
Officials from Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said Rudd had a telephone conversation with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and assured to help Sri Lanka to control illegal emigration.
Diplomatic sources said Sri Lanka's illegal migrants have topped the immigrants of Afghanistan and Iraq to enter Australia.
The two foreign ministers are to discuss the possibilities of bringing the Sri Lankan immigrants back home. They will also look into the possibilities of arresting those organizing human trafficking.
According to a statement issued by Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, 255 Sri Lankans aimed at entering Australia are now being detained at Merak Port of Indonesia.
The statement said Kulaendrarajah Sanjeev alias Alex, the spokesperson of the ill-fated boat carrying the 255 people once belonged to "Kannan Gang" involved in street fights and he was deported from Canada in 2003 after being arrested for trouble making.
"Alex had been involved in human smuggling for a long time and it is believed that his office is based in India," the statement added.
Sri Lanka's Immigration Commissioner, P. B. Abeykoon, who had met the Australian migration officials in Canberra said all boat people are unskilled laborers, fishermen and farmers.
The Australian press analysis said the main reason for more illicit migrants to seek refugee in Australia is due to the relaxed policies of the Rudd government, which made Australia a more desirable destination for asylum seekers.
Media reports said over 1,500 people from several countries, including Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, had made risky boat journey to Australia this year.
