An economic crisis and people smugglers’ lies about a life in Australia are the reasons Sri Lankan refugee boats are coming here, not a change of government, a lawyer representing the asylum seekers says.

With the island nation in the grips of an economic emergency, leading to critical shortages of food and fuel, desperate locals are believing claims they can simply cruise to Australia to start a new life, human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias claimed.

But it was possible people smugglers were ’emboldened’ by the change of government, a former Australian bureaucrat claimed.

An economic crisis and people smugglers’ lies about a life in Australia are the reasons Sri Lankan refugee boats are coming, not a change of government, a lawyer representing the asylum seekers says (Pictured, fishing trawlers are anchored at the Sri Lankan fishing harbour of Negombo)

With the island nation in the grips of an economic emergency desperate locals are believing claims they will be allowed to start a new life in Australia, human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias claimed (Pictured, Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils and Muslims sit in a Navy patrol craft after they were rescued and brought to a naval base in Galle)

Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary of Australia’s Department of Immigration, believed it was ‘reasonable to suspect’ that economic hardship in Sri Lanka and curiosity about the new government’s stance were the reasons.

‘The people smugglers want to test the new government and they’ve got more than enough people who are in desperate straits to want to participate,’ Mr Rizvi told 9 newspapers. 

Asylum seekers coming to Australia have been a highly politicised matter in recent years. 

On the morning of the Australian Federal election the Liberal party advised voters that an ‘illegal’ boat that was intercepted by Border Force officials allegedly trying to enter Australia.

The 12 people on board, all Sri Lankans from Negombo, were apprehended near Christmas Island and deported.

Asylum seekers coming to Australia have been a highly politicised matter in recent years

There has been speculation people smugglers might feel empowered a new Labor government would be softer on asylum seekers

An unsolicited text message was sent to residents urging them to vote Liberal

Since then another Sri Lankan fishing boat with 15 aboard was picked up by the Australian Border Force, while three larger boats were caught by the country’s navy. 

At least one of them was set on fire, a common tactic people smugglers use in the hope they will be allowed to stay.

There has been speculation people smugglers might feel empowered a new Labor government would be softer on asylum seekers. 

But new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed his government would continue turning back boats.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed his government would continue turning back boats

Protests have rocked Sri Lanka for two months, calling for the resignation of the president over the alleged failure to address the economic crisis

The claim asylum seekers think Mr Albanese’s government might be a softer touch has been disputed in Sri Lanka.

The main reason it is happening, Sri Lankans say, is desperation felt by especially young Sri Lankans and also promises made by people smugglers that Australia would take them in.

The combined impacts of the pandemic and alleged Sri Lankan government economic mismanagement has led to inflation blowing out to 39 per cent and critical shortages of food, fuel, medicines, imported goods and even fertiliser.

Protests have rocked Sri Lanka for two months, with calls for the resignation of the president over the alleged failure to address the economic crisis. 

Mr Dias, who represented 76 asylum seekers deported from Australia in a Colombo court in May, claimed Sri Lankans are desperate to get here and are encouraged by others.

He said life had become so tough in Sri Lanka that boats packed with refugees ‘are not going to stop’ heading for Australian territories, The Weekend Australian reported.

Mr Dias said asylum seekers used to be viewed as ‘traitors’ for wanting to reach Australia but now conditions are so bad in Sri Lanka that ‘everyone’ is saying ‘you must’ go to Australia.

The Sri Lankan navy has admitted it was apprehending at least one boat a week bound for Australia.

One of the men deported after being intercepted on a Sri Lankan fishing boat on Thursday at Christmas Island on June 9, Sadish Kumar, 20, admitted heading to Australia to find work.

His father, Ramalingam Kumar, explained the intolerable situation his son and so many young Sri Lankans find themselves in.

‘There is no food he likes to eat, no fuel for his bike and no work to earn. Who would live in this country?’ he said. 

Another of the young men on board, Eranga Madhushan, also 20, explained he expected to be sent to a ‘refugee camp’.

A human rights lawyer said asylum seekers used to be viewed as ‘traitors’ for wanting to reach Australia but now conditions are so bad in Sri Lanka that ‘everyone’ is saying ‘you must’ go to Australia

Emmanuel ­Stephen admitted he was ‘a fool’ for letting his son Emmanuel Mahesh and other men, aged between 20 and 30 – who were all deported – buy his boat, which was intercepted by Border Force on May 9

Others said they believed the Australian government would accept them because the Sri Lankan government could not find them jobs or ‘a plan for our future’.

The man who sold the intercepted trawler to people smugglers admitted selling it because he couldn’t escape his debts.

Emmanuel ­Stephen admitted he was ‘a fool’ for letting his son Emmanuel Mahesh and other men, aged between 20 and 30 – who were all deported – buy his boat.

Mahesh, 30, who is a young married father, appeared in court on Colombo and was remanded to face serious criminal charges again next week as the boat’s alleged owner.

His father refused previous offers from people smugglers to buy his trawler, hoping to fish his way out of financial trouble, but high fuel prices and crew shortages meant his debt problems overwhelmed him.

He accepted the bid to sell his boat and denied it had anything to do with the change of Australian government. 

Owning money to ‘several banks’ and with his home and boat mortgaged he needed the money.

People smugglers promised they’d pay $19,700 for it but could only come up with $13,800, promising to pay the rest when they arrived. 

But they were intercepted at Christmas Island and deported.

‘I almost got a heart attack when I heard Australian border control had arrested the boat with my son. I was a fool to give my boat to these people,’ Emmanuel Stephen said.

He claimed to have tried to send his son to Australia legally but failed.

An Australian Border Force spokesperson said the department does not comment on operational matters.