UNHCR Working to Resume Sri Lankan Refugee Repatriation Amid Challenges in India

Chennai:

The United Nations Refugee Agency is collaborating closely with the Colombo Mission to restart voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees, according to Areti Sienni, UNHCR Chief of Mission in India. In an exclusive NDTV interview today, she addressed the recent arrest of four returnees upon their arrival in Sri Lanka, which had led to the suspension of the repatriation process.

Describing the arrests as "worrying," Sienni expressed hope for the prompt resumption of repatriation efforts. She highlighted that 200 Sri Lankan refugees had successfully returned to their homeland last year, with approximately 50 more expressing interest in repatriation this year.

Sienni confirmed that UNHCR continues its collaboration with Indian authorities to ensure refugees can access durable solutions, whether through citizenship acquisition, repatriation to Sri Lanka, or resettlement elsewhere.

India currently hosts over 80,000 Sri Lankan refugees, many residing in Tamil Nadu for decades. Since 2002, 18,643 refugees have returned to Sri Lanka through the voluntary repatriation program.

However, three generations of refugees in India—including many born on Indian soil—face significant challenges due to the absence of comprehensive refugee legislation. Without citizenship, they continue living in designated refugee camps under police monitoring.

Despite pursuing higher education, many young refugees are forced into low-paying or menial jobs because employers hesitate to hire non-citizens. They are also denied access to medical education in government institutions. Many younger refugees, born and raised in India, now consider India their only home and have no desire to return to Sri Lanka.

While the Immigration and Foreigners Act does not penalize Sri Lankan refugees for their entry or extended stay in India, the Citizenship Act still categorizes them as illegal migrants. The Citizenship Amendment Act does not extend fast-track citizenship provisions to Lankan refugees, unlike those offered to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

Amid this legal vacuum, the Tamil Nadu government has implemented initiatives to improve refugees' socio-economic conditions—from livelihood and skill development programs to financial assistance for women's self-help groups and partnerships with industries to nurture educated refugee talent, including in the IT sector.

Sienni acknowledged that granting citizenship remains India's sovereign decision but noted that the Tamil Nadu government, alongside legal practitioners and civil society organizations, has been working to help eligible refugees secure Indian citizenship.

She added that UNHCR provides technical support and policy advice to both state and central governments to expand pathways toward inclusion.

"Citizenship represents concrete belonging to a country—a solution available to very few refugees globally," Sienni stated. "When citizenship becomes available, it ends refugee status and allows people to fully participate in their host society and economy."

Addressing demands for citizenship grants to Lankan refugees, she called the initiatives by Tamil Nadu and the Union government "an important example for the world," noting significant investments to help refugees become self-reliant and productive community members.