Chennai: In the wake of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's maiden trip to New Delhi on Sunday, a group of around one lakh Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have come out with a document explaining “durable solutions” for their settlement and concerns likely to be faced by them during repatriation.
The document titled “Asserting the Right to Seek Durable Solutions, the Voice of the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in the Camps of India” was prepared by consulting refugees, who live in 110 camps in Tamil Nadu several times, over the last nine months.
The extensive document suggesting three possible durable solutions for repatriation was prepared by a Chennai-based Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation. It is one of the major agencies in India for Sri Lankan refugees.
The three solutions, it talked about are - A safe voluntary repatriation to Sri Lanka with an assurance of securing a livelihood, local integration of refugee community through an appropriate agreement allowing refugees to enjoy all basic rights available to Indian citizens, and a third country settlement for those who find no other guarantee, safety and security in Sri Lanka or India.
The document insists on building the refugees' homeland as the most durable solution for most of the refugees other than staying in Tami Nadu or emigrating to a third country.
The set of four documents, already submitted before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, even warns that any delay in political action to facilitate refugees to choose voluntarily the option of returning to Sri Lanka will only heighten the ordeal of being a refugee in Indian camps.
Discussions related to handling of refugee issue are reportedly underway between India and Sri Lanka. However, this fresh document by the Refugee group suggests signing of a MoU to ensure a smooth and safe repatriation.
Apart from this, the document has also suggested several things to both India and Sri Lanka.
To India, it advises that India should take some decisions immediately such as the announcement of a generous package of assistance for refugees to return to Sri Lanka, granting work permit enabling Lankan refugees to be employed in private sector, providing educational loan for children and granting Indian citizenship to Lankan refugees married to Indian citizens.
And to Sri Lanka, it has suggestions that the Lankan government should include the implementation of constitutional amendments to ensure the civil and political rights, and resettle the remaining Internally Displaced People, among several others.
