The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law
Hon. Rauff Hakeem responded to a reference by the Deputy Minister, denying that the Motion was intended to incite racism or accuse the Government of racism. He argued that the persons concerned should not be repeatedly described as “illegal immigrants” but recognized as refugees fleeing persecution, and criticized Foreign Affairs officials for allegedly misleading Ministers on the issue.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the Deputy Minister mentioned me by name; please allow me a brief response.
¶ 02 This Motion is not about stoking racism or inciting the public. Inside and outside Cabinet in the past, my record of advocacy is on public record. We are not pushing a racial line; nor alleging that the Government is racist. Our point is that repeatedly branding them “illegal immigrants” is wrong. They are refugees—the world knows they are among the most persecuted minorities. Internationally, persons fleeing persecution who cross borders should be treated as refugees. My criticism is not of the new Ministers, but of officials in Foreign Affairs who are misleading them. Recognize them as refugees, not criminals. That is all we ask.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 23 January 2025 ·No. 1738314169039521 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 23 January 2025. No. 1738314169039521. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/10621