International media reported that 60 Lankan asylum seekers were to be deported from Britain.

Earlier, the London based Guardian said that the UK high court has ordered that the imminent deportation to Sri Lanka of a number of Tamils be halted amid claims they may be tortured on their return.

The British Foreign Office in last March told the BBC that they send people back to Sri Lanka only when the British government and the courts are satisfied that an individual does not need protection.

The Foreign Office has said there had been no substantiated allegations of mistreatment of those returned from the UK.

Today's fight is the sixth such flight of deportees arrived from the UK.