Six days later, 24 Tamils and Muslims, including five members of one family, died when fire engulfed a building in Pettah suburb. Fourteen others were injured. Although it appeared to be an accident, local people suspect arson. Prime Minister Ranil directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate. The IGP has appointed two police teams.
In early December, the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a Colombo businessman for involvement in illegal human trafficking. He is said to have sent 500 Sri Lankans to Italy. A few days later, the police took a naval officer and 12 sailors into custody. They had received Rs 700,000 ($7,290) to allow boats to take people to Italy from the west coast of the island.
On 7 December, 30 people waiting to leave for Italy, were arrested in Chilaw, 45 miles north of Colombo. Five days later, 167 asylum seekers, returned from Egypt, arrived in the capital. They had been taken into custody by Egyptian authorities while en route to Italy. Each person had paid Rs 200,000 to an agent. All were interrogated by the CID.
In 2001, 555 Sri Lankans applied for asylum in Italy and the number increased to 1,354 in 2002. From 2000 to 2002, asylum applications from Sri Lankans in industrialized countries declined by 38%, from 16,380 to 10,150. Reports say that 38 asylum seekers, including 26 Sri Lankans, held by Australian authorities in a detention centre on Christmas Island, 1,600 miles north-west of Perth, rioted on 6 December and burned parts of the building. The authorities claim that the rioting began after detainees were told that their applications for asylum had been rejected. The Sri Lankans had arrived in boats on Cocos Island in October and December last year.
Australia has come under international criticism for inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. More than 1,170 refugees are in detention in several centres on the mainland and camps in Nauru and Papua New Guinea. There have also been rioting in other centres. An Australian Parliamentary Committee was critical of the detention centres, citing human rights abuses. The Committee made 20 recommendations in June. In December, Canberra announced that it had made improvements to the detention centres, with access to gymnasiums, satellite television and education courses. The rejected refugees are expected to be deported.