18 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to return next week

Eighteen Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu are arriving Sri Lanka on 28 March under the UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation program. 

They are scheduled to arrive via Mihin Lanka Airlines. Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M.Swaminathan, carried out a discussion with the UNHCR to facilitate 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 18 refugee returnees 10 are males and 8 are females. These refugee returnees will return to Trincomalee, Jaffna, Killinochchi and Mannar. 

The UNHCR provides free air tickets, reintegration allowance of $ 75 per person, transport allowance of $ 19 per person and a monitory non-food grant of $ 75 per family. Since 2011, already 4,654 refugees (1,688 Families) have returned to Sri Lanka according to the Ministry Secretary V.Sivagnanasothy. Over 64,000 are stationed in 109 welfare camps in India. In total, 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. 

Further, the provision of dry rations has been already approved for 6 months. The REPPIA has been instructed by the Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs to provide compensation for those who have lost their houses and suffered loss of lives of kith and kins and for injuries. Sivagnansothy informed that, the refugees who lost their houses will be provided with houses under the 65,000 housing program of the Ministry. The Government of Sri Lanka has initiated action to encourage the voluntary refugee returnee program on a phased out basis and the current trend of increased refugee returnees is a sign of reconciliation and moving towards permanent peace, according to the Ministry secretary.