Lankan immolates self awaiting Australian visa

A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum-seeker has died after setting himself on fire while awaiting a visa decision in Australia, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Monday.

Leorsin Seemanpillai, 29, who was living in Geelong, outside Melbourne, after being granted a temporary visa a year ago, suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body after the incident on Saturday morning.

He died on Sunday in a Melbourne hospital.

"This man sadly died as a result of a very serious set of injuries that were self-inflicted," Morrison said.

"And I don't think we are in any position, and I frankly don't think anyone else is any position, to draw any conclusions about what is a person's mind in that situation."

He added that authorities had been in touch with Seemanpillai's father in India, who requested a funeral for his son in Geelong.

Seemanpillai, who arrived by boat in Australia in January 2013, was receiving community mental health support and his refugee application was still being processed, Morrison added.

"I can also advise that the last case worker contact with Mr Seemanpillai was on Friday, May 30, and I am advised that there was no concern or indication of any suicidal intention... at that time," he said.

Under Australia's tough refugee policy, asylum-seekers who arrived by boat after July 2013 have been sent to detention centres on Manus Island or Nauru in the Pacific for processing and permanent resettlement.

While most boatpeople come via Indonesia, many have also attempted the difficult trip from Sri Lanka, where they claim persecution over the country's Tamil separatist conflict.

Australia has sent back dozens of Sri Lankan nationals who tried to enter the country illegally.

According to the immigration department, more than 24,000 asylum-seekers are living in Australia on bridging visas of the type Seemanpillai was on.

A further 2,450 asylum-seekers are being held on Nauru and Manus Island and another 823 are detained on Christmas Island.

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