Sri Lanka: Whether in early 1999 the authorities in Vavuniya were granting passes to go to Colombo in order to get flights to Jaffna, because the overland route from Vavuniya to Jaffna was closed
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 19 May 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA34427.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Whether in early 1999 the authorities in Vavuniya were granting passes to go to Colombo in order to get flights to Jaffna, because the overland route from Vavuniya to Jaffna was closed, 19 May 2000, LKA34427.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad65a8.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
On 5 May 2000 an official at the High Commission for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Ottawa stated that in early 1999 no permit was required to go to Colombo from Vavuniya, but that a permit, called a "Jaffna Clearance" was required to get on a flight from Colombo to Jaffna.
However, on 16 May 2000 a representative of Jesuit Refugee Service in Colombo stated that
In 1999 there was a pass system. People from Vavuniya who wanted to goto Jaffna who wanted to fly to Jaffna from Colombo were given a pass in Vavuniya. The pass was to come to Colombo and proceed to Jaffna. It was given as temporary pass to Colombo. When the party came to Colombo they had to register with the police in Colombo. Within the given time if the party could not fly to Jaffna they had to renew their pass and they had to answer the question why theycould not go to Jaffna.
Since the overland route to Jaffna was closed the authorities in Vavuniya were granting passes to go to Colombo in order to get flights to Jaffna.
On 12 May 2000 a representative of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies in Colombo provided the following information with respect to the rules that apply to civilians in Vavuniya who are originally from Jaffna:
According to article 14(1) h of the constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, every citizen is entitled to the freedom of movement and choosing his residence within Sri-Lanka.
But no citizen can travel to south of Vavuniya including Colombo, without clearance passes issued by the police. There are various types of pass systems in force in the Vavuniya district and [ ] in relation to the pass system applicable to one category of civilians, who were in Vavuniya early in 1999 and who wished to go back to Jaffna through Colombo by flights, the following procedure is applicable to that category of civilians:
During the military operations in Jaffna in 1995 (the Rivirasa operation conducted by the Sri Lankan army) civilians of Jaffna moved to the Wanni area and from Wanni they moved to Vavuniya, and government officials accommodated those civilians in Welfare camps in Vavuniya. Those civilians are not permitted by the police to go south of Vavuniya including Colombo without necessary clearance obtained from the police. The police will not issue necessary clearance pass to those civilians to go to Colombo or south of Vavuniya. If anybody in the welfare camps wishes to go back to Jaffna, their hometown, government officials will take them to Trincomalee and they will be accommodated in the transit camp in Trincomalee; and from Trincomalee they can go to Jaffna by ship.No person will be allowed by the police to travel to Colombo and obtain a flight to go back to Jaffna. [But] a person who is more than 60 years of age can obtain passes to travel to Colombo to take a flight to go back to Jaffna.
The police in Vavuniya are responsible for the issue of clearance passes to travel south of Vavuniya. The discretion whether to issue or reject clearance passes is in the hands of the Senior Superintendent of Police in Vavuniya.
With respect to permanent residents of Vavuniya (i.e., those not originally from Jaffna), the representative of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies stated that they did not require passes to travel to Colombo during the period in question, and neither did Vavuniya residents who held three-month passes (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 12 May 2000. Correspondence.
High Commission for the Democratic and Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Ottawa. 5 May 2000. Telephone interview.
Jesuit Refugee Service, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 16 May 2000. Correspondence.
