India’s Sri Lankan Refugees need fair consideration

February 16, 2023

Context:

It will soon be 14 years since the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka. The three decade war that ended in May 2009 caused to seek protection in India, among a population of identical ethnicity in Tamil Nadu.

Background of Civil war:

During British Rule the pattern of Tamil favoritism left Sinhalese people feeling isolated and oppressed. Soon after British occupiers left the island in 1948, these patterns of Tamil dominance changed dramatically.
After independence, many Sinhalese gained power and went on to gradually pass acts effectively disenfranchising their Tamil counterparts, which led to the creation of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1976.
The conflict then escalated into civil war in 1983, leading to riots targeting Tamils in Colombo.
The fighting lasted just under three decades and ended in May 2009, when the Sri Lankan government announced that they killed the LTTE leader.

Humanitarian assistance by India:

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its 2021-22 Annual Report states that 3,04,269 Sri Lankan refugees entered India between July 1983 and August 2012 and were provided relief including shelter, subsidized ration, educational assistance, medical care and cash allowances, access to public education and health facilities.
The Government of India provided ₹1,226 crore for the relief and accommodation of refugees from July 1983 to March 2022.
However, the objective of the Government of India remains the repatriation of refugees to Sri Lanka; 99,469 refugees were repatriated to Sri Lanka up to March 1995 and no organized repatriation was done thereafter.

The issue of voluntary return:

Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India who wish to return voluntarily are being facilitated by the Government of Sri Lanka. Over the last year, 208 individuals have returned voluntarily, supported by the Government of India, bilateral donors and the UNHCR.
However, there is a significant population which may not wish to return, preferring to call India home. This is a cohort born and educated in India with no knowledge or experience of their country of origin.

Conclusion:

A solution that provides relief from enduring refugee status is the need of the hour.
India possesses the capacity and the legal framework to find durable solutions to the refugee situation in Tamil Nadu.
In line with the Global Compact on Refugees, India along with the international community has significantly contributed to building conditions within Sri Lanka for a safe and durable return.
There is a need to devise a solution for the group which may consider India to be their home after a stay of decades.

Additional Information:

About Global Compact on Refugees:

The Global Compact on Refugees is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation.
It provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations to ensure that host communities get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives.
Key Objectives:

- Ease the pressures on host countries;
- Enhance refugee self-reliance;
- Expand access to third-country solutions;
- Support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.

About UNHCR:

It is a UN Refugee Agency and a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting the rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.
It was created in 1950 to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes.
It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.

News Source: The Hindu