Tamils in Germany protested against the planned deportation of Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka, despite ongoing reports of torture and human rights abuses.
Over the last few days, 14 Tamil refugees have been in arrested and detained at a detention centre in Pforzheim. Today, over 50 Tamils protested outside the detention centre, calling for the Tamils to be released and the deportations to be stopped.
The German authorities are reportedly set to deport the Tamils on June 9.
Earlier this year, Germany deported an estimated 100 Tamil asylum seekers after the authorities raided homes and reportedly invited to renew their permits to remain but upon arrival at the building, they were detained by police officers.
Despite a series of protests by German Tamils and politicians, only four of the Tamil detainees were released at the last minute at Düsseldorf airport. Those who were deported from Germany and Switzerland were handed to Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department.
In March, Germany co-sponsored a UN resolution which highlighted the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The resolution, which Germany played a key role in drafting as a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka, "expresses serious concern at the trends emerging over the past year, which represent a clear early warning sign of a deteriorating situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, including... increased marginalization of persons belonging to the Tamil and Muslim communities... arbitrary detentions; alleged torture and other cruel, inhuman degrading treatment or punishment, and sexual and gender-based violence."
