25 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India arriving on 25 October

25 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu, India are arriving in Sri Lanka under the UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation program on Tuesday, 25 October. Consisting eight families, they are scheduled to arrive through Mihin Lanka Airlines (MJ 308) at 9:45 a.m. from Madurai. 

The Government of Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has initiated action to encourage the voluntary refugee returnee program and the current trend of increased refugee returnees is a sign of reconciliation and moving towards permanent peace said the Ministry Secretary.

Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Secretary V. Sivagnanasothy confirmed that of the 25 refugee returnees 10 are males and 15 are females. These refugee returnees will get back to Mannar, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Matale and Kilinochchi.

Further, the UNHCR provides free air tickets, reintegration allowance of $ 75 per person, transport allowance $ 19 per person and monitory non-food grant of $ 75 per family. Since 2011, already 5,140 refugees (1,874 families) have returned to Sri Lanka said Sivagnanasothy. Over 64,000 are stationed in 109 welfare camps in India. Totally, over 100,000 refugees are currently in India. 

The Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs initiated a livelihood assistance program of maximum Rs. 100,000 per refugee returnee family to support the livelihood activities.

Further, the provision of dry ration has been already approved for six 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 kiths and kins and for injuries. Sivagnanasothy informed that the refugees who lost their houses will be provided with houses under the housing program of the Ministry.

Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M. Swaminathan had a discussion with the UNHCR and facilitated the process and increased the baggage allowance per person with assistance of the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development and Mihin Lanka.