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Australia's immigration minister will arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for top-level talks after the Australian government controversially decided to return 41 asylum seekers in a move condemned by the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has expressed concern over the deportation of 41 Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Australia.
A further 153 asylum seekers also from Sri Lanka have had their deportation blocked by the Australian High Court.
UNHCR said it had been informed by authorities in Australia that enhanced screening procedures had been applied to determine whether those deported raised claims for protection which required further consideration.
The agency however said it has previously made known its concerns to Australia about its asylum screening procedures.
The controversy was triggered when Australian authorities intercepted a boat carrying asylum seekers in late June.
Forty-one potentially illegal maritime arrivals were returned to Sri Lankan authorities on July 6. Opposition parties have accused Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott of failing to ensure the safety of returned asylum seekers.
It is unclear whether the returned Sri Lankans were part of a boat that reportedly set sail from India carrying 153 Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Australia.
The boat first came to public attention on June 27 via refugee advocates who called on the Australian government to provide assistance as the boat was supposedly running low on fuel.
Australian government officials have refused to comment or confirm the existence of such a ship.
The Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, will be in Colombo on Wednesday for a two-day visit focused on preventing illegal immigrants from the island.
He will attend a commissioning ceremony for the two former Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Bay Class patrol vessels gifted to the Sri Lankan Navy to combat people smuggling.
Sri Lanka has been the source of thousands of illegal migrants or boat people to Australia for the past few years.
Despite the end of a three-decade war in 2009 the number of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka has increased, pushing the Australian government to take tough measures to prevent them from reaching that country. At least 1,500 people have been arrested by the navy while attempting to leave Sri Lanka by boat while the Australian government has returned around the same number as part of a stricter immigration policy. The Australian government is working closely with the local Navy to monitor and prevent boat people from Sri Lanka and have implemented awareness programs to discourage locals from attempting to illegally migrate.
