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| Scott Morrison to head to Sri Lanka amid row over fate of asylum boat | Scott Morrison to head to Sri Lanka amid row over fate of asylum boat |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The immigration minister, Scott Morrison, is heading to Sri Lanka as the furore continues over government silence on the fate of hundreds of asylum seekers. | |
| The federal government will not confirm reports 203 Tamils have been handed over to Sri Lankan authorities after they were intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat. | The federal government will not confirm reports 203 Tamils have been handed over to Sri Lankan authorities after they were intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat. |
| Human rights groups have warned the Tamils could face torture, rape and long-term detention if they are returned to Sri Lanka. | Human rights groups have warned the Tamils could face torture, rape and long-term detention if they are returned to Sri Lanka. |
| Morrison will attend a ceremony this week to mark the handing over of two former customs bay class patrol boats that Australia has given the Sri Lankan government. | Morrison will attend a ceremony this week to mark the handing over of two former customs bay class patrol boats that Australia has given the Sri Lankan government. |
| He will arrive on Wednesday and meet the country's foreign minister and defence officials. | He will arrive on Wednesday and meet the country's foreign minister and defence officials. |
| The United Nations refugee agency has been critical of potential shortcuts in processing the asylum seeker claims, which have reportedly happened at sea. | The United Nations refugee agency has been critical of potential shortcuts in processing the asylum seeker claims, which have reportedly happened at sea. |
| One boat originated in India with 153 Tamil asylum seekers, including about 30 children, and a second, carrying 50 people, may have sailed from Indonesia. | One boat originated in India with 153 Tamil asylum seekers, including about 30 children, and a second, carrying 50 people, may have sailed from Indonesia. |
| The Coalition's Senate leader, Eric Abetz, said Australians would understand the government's decision not to give "a blow-by-blow description in the middle of an operational matter". | |
| "In due course these matters will be revealed," he told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday. | |
| Morrison refused on Thursday to confirm any details about the fate of the boats, including reports that immigration officials were screening asylum seekers at sea. | |
| "The Australian government in our undertakings and what we do as part of Operation Sovereign Borders is always cognisant of our international obligations and the relevant conventions as they apply and we always act in accordance with those obligations," Morrison said. | |
| Labor, the Greens and refugee advocates have said the government would be breaching international law if it sent people back into harm's way. |