Even as Sri Lanka is preparing to observe the sixth anniversary of the end of the civil war on Tuesday, over a lakh nationals from the island nation, who arrived in Tamil Nadu since 1983 continue to live as refugees in the State, in the absence of a viable voluntary repatriation package.
Though several batches of refugees voluntarily returned after the Lankan government officially declared the end of the 25-year-long civil war on May 19, 2009, the lack of a complete repatriation package seem to add to the reasons behind the refugees in the State hesitating to return.
“We support repatriation whenever it can take place on a well-informed request of refugees, in safety and dignity and with prospects for sustainable reintegration back home,” says UNHCR India’s Public Information Officer Shuchita Mehta.
Despite the financial assistance available for repatriation, over 1.02 lakh refugees remain in the State as on March 1 this year. “Most of the refugees hesitate because they have to leave the things they have earned all these years here and might have to start from scratch and rebuild their lives there,” says the treasurer of Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR) S.C. Chandrahasan.
“All the governments involved in the issue should come together and offer a repatriation package allowing refugees to take back the assets they have earned all these years with them to Lanka. Of course, there can be an upper limit,” he says.
The package could include repatriation on board a ship with some of their assets and continuing financial assistance from the Government of India to refugees for a few years till they rebuild their livelihood, he adds.
An official of the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai says, “We have always been encouraging the refugees to go for voluntary repatriation. We process their documents free of cost.”
An effort by the Government of India to discuss voluntary repatriation of refugees with all stakeholders early this year fell through after the Tamil Nadu government contended that the conditions in Lanka “were still not conducive” and it could be considered only after concrete and credible measures are taken by the island nation.