SBS Dateline | Interview Keheliya Rambukwella

Why are an increasing number of Sri Lankans so desperate to leave that they’ll risk their lives to leave the country bound for Australia?

As part of Dateline's Sri Lanka special, Mark Davis puts the question to the Sri Lankan Minister for Media and Information, Keheliya Rambukwella.

He says people should stay in Sri Lanka and be patient… life in the country is improving for everyone after the war, but it won’t be transformed overnight.

So why is the government’s message failing to get across? How can it tackle the long-ingrained distrust within the country? And how does he view Sri Lanka’s relationship with Australia?

WATCH - Click see Mark’s interview which was screened in a special program on the rise in Sri Lankan asylum seekers, broadcast following the series premiere of Go Back To Where You Came From.

INTERACTIVE MAP - Which countries do Australia's asylum seekers come from? And how does Sri Lanka rank in the list? Use our interactive map to find out.

Tweet