Australian Border Patrol ship docks in Colombo, repatriates 46 people

In its monthly report last week, the ABF said it had stopped four boats from Sri Lanka in June, with 125 people on board.

A fishing trawler carrying 12 men from Negombo, north of Colombo, was pulled up near Christmas Island on May 21, the day of the federal election.

Since May, the navy has stopped 15 ships attempting to leave Sri Lanka illegally, some with children on board. Navy spokesman De Silva said Friday that a total of 701 people had been arrested on those boats, with another 210 arrested ashore with police assistance.

Australia is providing tactical support and training to the Sri Lankan Navy, which already uses two decommissioned Australian patrol boats given to them when Operation Sovereign Borders went into effect under Tony Abbott in 2013. There is

The Albanian government has also donated over 4000 GPS devices to help Sri Lankan authorities monitor activity in the country’s waters.

Sri Lankans trying to go to Australia keep fleeing Devastating economic meltdown in South Asian countryInflation hit a record high of 60.8% last month as foreign exchange reserves dried up.

Months of shortages and soaring prices of fuel, food and other necessities have also caused political turmoil leading to the resignations of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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When Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country Thousands of demonstrators stormed the presidential palace last month He has been in Singapore since then and is allowed to stay in the city-state as a civilian until next Thursday.

The new leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected by parliamentarians to serve for the remainder of Gotabaya’s term in office until 2024, has dismantled a sprawling protest camp that had been set up outside the president’s office for months.

He is negotiating a bailout with the International Monetary Fund, but warned in an address to parliament on Wednesday that Sri Lanka was “facing an unprecedented situation” and that many challenges still lie ahead.

“We are in great danger,” he said.

An ABF spokesman said it would not comment on operational issues.

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