Eswatini: British-Held Asylum Seeker Dies By Apparent Suicide in Eswatini

What the report says

The New Humanitarian reported that Kishanth Peramaiya, a 36-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker, died by apparent suicide on 13 September in Mbabane, Eswatini. His death came after years in detention and relocation tied to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) administration, which had granted him international protection but later kept him out of the United Kingdom because of criminal convictions and public-safety concerns.

According to the report, Peramaiya was among asylum seekers rescued near Diego Garcia in 2021 and held for years in BIOT custody. He spent extended periods in highly restricted conditions, and the article says UN refugee officials had previously raised concerns about his isolation and treatment. Court records and other reporting cited by the outlet described repeated suicide attempts, medical evacuations, and a long-running dispute over where he could legally and safely be sent.

The article said most of the wider group was later admitted to the UK, while Peramaiya and a small number of others were excluded. With return to Sri Lanka blocked and UK entry denied, his case was pushed toward third-country relocation. The report said he was transferred to Eswatini, where local media indicated his stay may have been intended to be permanent.

The development is significant because it highlights the unresolved consequences of the Diego Garcia asylum cases, including the tension between protection obligations, detention conditions and public-safety decisions. The New Humanitarian said it had sought clarification from UK and BIOT authorities on his status and the circumstances of his death.