BACKGROUND NOTE
CONFIDENTIAL
REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
TAMILS
1. The population of northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka (predominantly Tamil) have suffered severely in the last two or
three years from the continuing violence. But the majority of the
Tamil community, who live outside of those provinces, have not suffered any repetition of the extreme violence which occured in
July 1983. The Tamil community are not being persecuted, they continue to be represented in government and civil service positions, but the activities of armed Tamil separatists in the
north and the east have done much to worsen the position of the
Tamil minority. Because of a sudden influx of Tamils seeking refugee status in early 1985 (over 1300 in May), a visa regime was introduced the first for a Commonwealth country. The visa regime
has worked smoothly and there have been no serious problems since. There are currently some 3000 Tamils seeking asylum/refugee status in UK. We have not accepted that these are entitled to refugee status, but, recognising the difficult situation in Sri Lanka and the problems they would face returning to their own homes, have granted them exceptional leave to remain in the UK. This situation will remain until a solution is found to the conflict in Sri Lanka. President Jayewardene has assured our High Commissioner that Tamils returned to Sri Lanka would not be harassed or persecuted in any way
and there is no evidence that Tamils returned by other countries, eg the Netherlands, have been harassed. But there are undoubted
difficulties in monitoring returnees.
2. There are some awkwardnesses in our relations with Sri Lanka,
but these stem from the conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil terrorists rather than specifically because of Tamils in
/the UK.
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