UNHCR in its report says that Sri Lankan asylum seekers will not be given immediate asylum status in future since the local situation has shown improvement. However, each case will be studied individually considering merits and demerits. Some journalists, Tiger supporters, homosexuals are still under threat in Sri Lanka, the report says further. Many western countries waited for the report from UNHCR over the asylum status to Sri Lankans to take their own decision on the issue.

Immigrant issue becomes cardinal issue and it is a great challenge as far as the western world is concerned. Immigrants fall easy target since politicians fear for election defeat if they adopt soft attitude on the issue. Thousands pending asylum seekers might face the danger of sending back to Sri Lanka. UN has come to the above decision since many western countries have announced that Sri Lanka is a safe tourist destination and large number of western tourists arrived here. Significant number of our people got asylum status in western countries by giving anti Tiger statement when Tigers were dominating in North and East in the past. Now, such asylum status could not be requested since LTTE is defeated militarily.

Before UNHCR issuing the above report, some western countries made decisions considering that normalcy has returned to Sri Lanka. A court ruling issued by Switzerland Immigration office is a good example. A Sri Lanka Tamil has applied for asylum status few months ago saying that Sri Lanka military and armed group working with the military pose threat to his life. However, his application was rejected saying that normalcy has returned in North and East and armed group engaged in human right violation have joined the main stream politics. This shows the attitude adopted by western world when granting asylum status to Sri Lankans. Meanwhile, Australia has come forwarded to re commence the processing of asylum applications from Sri Lankans though the Australian Govt. has suspended the process for the last three months since the immigrant issue becomes a major topic in the forthcoming election.

Australian Govt. gave 25 million US dollars to Indonesia to curtail influx of boat people from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Meanwhile, Julia Gillard, Australian new prime minister, has asked not to misuse this decision and she warned such misuse might prompt the Australian Govt. to deport them. Major opposition party led by Tony Abbot, says that the policy adopted by former Prime Minister, Howard should be re introduced. Asylum seekers will be detained in Papua New Guinea, Nauru till their applications are processed.

Due to critical situation encountered internally, Australian prime minister and the opposition leader made the above announcements over the immigrant issue. Though it is an internal issue of Australian Govt., Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said that Australia should continue to issue asylum status to Sri Lankan considering the post war situation. Statement made by the Australian prime minister appears to be a warning to Sri Lankan asylum seekers.

Senaka Walgambia, Sri Lanka ambassador to Australia has welcomed the decision made by the Australian premier. Under this circumstance, it is certain that Sri Lankan Diaspora and a section of Sri Lanka Diaspora have to encounter many challenges in future.