24 Lankan Tamil refugees arrive from Tamil Nadu

Twenty-four Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu, India arrived yesterday (3 May) in Sri Lanka, under the UNHCR-facilitated voluntary repatriation program.

Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M.Swaminathan had a discussion with the UNHCR and facilitated the process and increased the baggage allowance per person with the assistance of the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development and Mihin Lanka Airlines.

Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Secretary V.Sivagnanasothy confirmed that of the 24 refugee returnees, 17 were males and seven females. These refugee returnees will get back to Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Colombo and Vavuniya. Further, the UNHCR provided free air tickets, reintegration allowance of $ 75 per person, transport allowance of $ 19 per person and a monetary non-food grant of $ 75 per family. 

Since 2011, 4,709 refugees (1,712 families) have returned to Sri Lanka, said Sivagnanasothy. Over 64,000 are stationed in 109 welfare camps in India. Totally, over 100,000 refugees are currently in India. 

Swaminathan put up a Cabinet paper seeking financial support to provide livelihood assistance to the refugee returnees which is now being referred to the national planning authorities to consider with the comprehensive project proposal.