India's Supreme Court Denies Plea Against Deportation of Sri Lankan National

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed a plea by a Sri Lankan Tamil national challenging his deportation, asserting that India cannot serve as a refuge for foreign nationals. This decision followed the petitioner's appeal against a Madras High Court order mandating his immediate departure from India after completing a seven-year sentence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).

The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and K Vinod Chandran, stated, "Is India to host refugees from all over the world? We are already struggling with a population of 140 crore. This is not a dharamshala where we can entertain foreign nationals from everywhere." The petitioner's counsel argued that he had been detained for nearly three years post-sentence without any deportation proceedings initiated.

The petitioner, who entered India on a visa, informed the court of a grave threat to his life if deported to Sri Lanka, emphasizing that his family has already settled in India. Despite these concerns, the court advised him to seek refuge in another country, reiterating India's limitations in accommodating refugees.

(With inputs from agencies.)