Another set of Sri Lankans who were among those saved from a fishing boat flying the Vietnamese flag that was discovered to be in trouble in the Vietnam Seas on November 7, 2022, have been deported to their home country.
The 303 Sri Lankans who were temporarily living in Vietnam upon rescue were quickly coordinated for rescue, according to the Sri Lanka Navy, by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo stationed at the Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters.
151 of the saved Sri Lankans were deported from Vietnam and arrived on December 28, 2022, at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.
Another 23 Sri Lankans from the rescued batch, according to the Sri Lanka Navy, landed at the Katunayake airport on Wednesday, April 19.
On November 7, 2022, the Navy Headquarters received a distress call about the Lady R3, a fishing boat flying the Vietnamese flag and carrying 303 Sri Lankan citizens. In response to the development, MRCC Colombo swiftly notified MRCCs Singapore, Vietnam, and Philippine about the rescue of people in need at sea that was under their jurisdiction.
As a result, the MV “HELIOS LEADER” was sent out by MRCC Singapore and Vietnam in a coordinated Search and Rescue effort to save the Sri Lankan group. On November 9th, after being saved, they were transported to Vietnam by a SAR vessel and made a temporary home there.
Investigations had shown that the group of Sri Lankans had legitimately flown from their own country to Myanmar and were attempting to migrate illegally from there with the aid of international people smugglers.
The Navy reported that among the group deported last week were 15 males, 06 females, and two children under the age of 18; their ages ranged from 19 to 50. Residents of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa have been recognized.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration, among other pertinent authorities, will handle the incident’s legal actions.
