Sri Lankan-origin MP Uma Kumaran appointed UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary

United Kingdom Member of Parliament Uma Kumaran, who hails from a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee family, was appointed as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the British Ministry of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

She is also the first person of Sri Lankan origin to be appointed to a ministerial position in British parliamentary history.

Serving the country by representing the United Kingdom's international leadership and foreign affairs during a globally tense and challenging period is a massive honour, Uma Kumaran stated in a social media post regarding her new appointment.

Born in East London, Uma Kumaran's parents arrived in Britain as refugees due to the civil war in Sri Lanka, and obtained residency in Britain through the intervention of then Labour Party Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn.

She studied for a first degree in political science and a postgraduate degree (MSc) in public policy at Queen Mary University of London.