The Sri Lanka Air Force base in Mullaitivu, which has long served as a strategic military post, has now been repurposed as a temporary detention center for illegal immigrants. This development was announced through an extraordinary gazette notification issued on Monday, December 30, 2024.
The gazette notification, published by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, indicates that the base will function as a detention center under the authority of Section 48 of the Immigration and Emigration Act. The decision to designate the base as a detention facility came after the illegal immigrant detention center in Mirihana reached its capacity.
Currently, more than 100 Rohingya refugees, who arrived on the island on December 20, are being held at the Mullaitivu Air Force base. These refugees were originally detained at Mirihana, but due to overcrowding, they were transferred to Mullaitivu.
The Mullaitivu Air Force base, originally established in 2009 after the defeat of the LTTE, has been primarily used for military operations and strategic purposes. It is now being used for humanitarian concerns, highlighting the ongoing challenges Sri Lanka faces in managing refugees and illegal immigration.
The decision to convert this military base into a detention center comes amid increasing pressures on the country’s immigration system. The Sri Lankan government continues to grapple with how to manage the rising number of refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants entering the country. The shift in the base’s purpose has raised concerns about the long-term implications for both national security and human rights, with human rights organizations urging the government to ensure the proper treatment of refugees and detainees during their stay.
