This led to the first wave of migrations by the Tamils to countries such as Malaysia (then Malaya), Singapore and the then Madras Presidency in India.

Ceylonese Tamils made up an overwhelming majority in the civil service of British Malaya and Singapore prior to independence.

It was in Malaysia and Singapore, that the term "Ceylonese" and "Jaffnese" were popularly used by the Sri Lankan Tamils to differentiate themselves from the larger Malaysian Indian and Indian Singaporean population who were predominantly of Tamil origin (but as of today, they are considered a sub-ethnicity of these races in the respective national censuses of their adoptive countries due to the similarities of religion, ethnicity, and language with the local ethnic Indian population of Tamil origin).

After the Pangkor Treaty of 1874, the British embarked upon the construction of roads, railways, schools, hospitals, and government offices in the Malay Peninsula, to develop the country and to increase its revenue.

Many of the first Asian and non-white doctors and engineers in Malaya and Singapore were of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.

The Ceylonese community established many schools, banks, cultural societies, cooperatives and temples in Malaysia and Singapore.

It was formed to promote and preserve the Political, Educational, Social and Cultural aspects of the Malaysian Ceylonese Community.

The Singapore flag was flown at half-mast at all public buildings and former Prime Minister and friend Lee Kuan Yew cried when giving his eulogy.

Before 1956, Tamils were proportionately over-represented in the civil service because of their high achievement and perceived preferential treatment by the Colonial Rulers.

[2] Although the Sinhala Only Act was partially repealed in 1959, it did not stop Tamils leaving Sri Lanka searching for better employment opportunities.

The community is made up of prominent politicians, celebrities, activists, scholars, among other people, but lacks strong impact due to its small size.

An approximate 150,000 people identified as "Tamil" according to the most recent census of both Statistics Canada and the OECD (dated 2011).

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has the largest concentration of Sri Lankans (mainly Tamils) in Canada.

Canadians of Tamil ethnic origins mostly from Sri Lanka and other countries such as India, Malaysia, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji.

They also tend to be highly educated and many work as real estate agents, lawyers, doctors and bankers.

[1] The vast majority of Parisian Tamils fled Sri Lanka as refugees in the 1980s, escaping the violent civil conflict.

In 1987, the Office for the Protection of Refugees (OFPRA) gained in power and opened up a period of nearly systematic asylum[citation needed].

This liberal period eventually tapered off in the 90s as a result[citation needed] of new European measures designed against an influx in immigration.

[33] The majority of Sri Lankan Tamils in this region are descended from asylum seekers flees in the Civil War.

[34] The majority of the first generation had to learn the local language in order to be able to obtain jobs and suffered from poor employment prospects as a result, but the second generation has been more successful in picking up the local language (predominantly German) and educating their way into middle class jobs such as finance.

According to the journal Hinduism Today, the youth are being well trained in their religion and culture at home and in weekend schools in rented halls using texts from Sri Lanka.

There are two well-patronized Hindu temples – one for Vinayagar and another for Abhirami – and the Tamil population has become well adapted to the Danish environment.

Among the first Sri Lankan immigrants to Australia were those recruited to work on the cane plantations of northern Queensland in the late 19th century.

There are also reports of Sri Lankan workers in the gold-mining regions of New South Wales and the pearling industry in Broome, Western Australia.

Estimates of numbers during this time range from 500 to 1,000 persons; the 1901 Australian Census recorded 609 Sri Lanka-born.

In the early 1970s, the restrictions on entry of non-Europeans were eased and a new wave of Tamils, Sinhalese and Burghers entered the country.

The number of humanitarian entrants has increased since the introduction in January 1995 of the Special Assistance Category (SAC) Class 215 for Sri Lankans.

The most recent wave of migrants to Australia includes Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus who have strong cultural and political consciousness.

The 2001 distribution by State and Territory showed Victoria had the largest number with 26,670 followed by New South Wales (16,910), Queensland (3,990) and Western Australia (2,970).

Seeking peace and safety in New Zealand, Sri Lankans are of many faiths: Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian.