On 14th March, Rohantan lost his life at the age of 28 while attempting to cross the border from Ukraine to Slovakia. He had left home to get to Europe with the aim to support his two sisters and his handicapped mother in Sri Lanka. He died whilst seeking a source of income and safety in the European Union.
His death is directly related to the immigration restrictions of the EU, to tight border controls, to outsourcing such controls to Ukraine and to agencies like IOM, ICMPD and UNHCR who are commissioned with some of these tasks. These do not permit Rohantan to pursue his aspirations and commitments.
Rohantan is thus another victim of the externalised EU border regime whose deadly consequences can be observed day by day in the Mediterranean.
We mourn for Rohantan!
Our deepest sympathy is with his family!
Border Monitoring Project Ukraine
www.bordermonitoring-ukraine.eu