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The Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission is in the process of compiling details of Sri Lankan students in South India and working on ensuring their safety and welfare, the Foreign Relations Ministry said in a statement yesterday.
There are around 600 Sri Lankan students all over India dispersed throughout various states. In Southern India alone 191 students have registered themselves at this mission.
Currently in Tamil Nadu there are 62 students, Telangana nine, Kerala four, Andhra Pradesh four and Karnataka 112, the Foreign Relations Ministry said in a statement.
The Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission is in touch with the students and respective institutions to ensure their welfare and has advised all students to stay indoors and remain safe with all precautionary measures. The mission constantly monitors their situation and is committed to assist and ensure the safety and welfare of the students.
Further, the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Sri Lanka launched ‘Contact Sri Lanka,’ a web portal welcoming Sri Lankans living abroad to voluntarily register at www.contactsrilanka.mfa.gov.lk. Registering online in the web portal will allow the Ministry of Foreign Relations to reach out during emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak.
This portal will connect overseas Sri Lankans with stakeholders in Sri Lanka and a network of Sri Lanka Missions overseas. A dedicated team of officials have already been assigned by the Ministry of Foreign Relations to respond to queries of overseas Sri Lankans and also to act as an online help desk during emergencies.
Registration by country will also allow the Ministry of Foreign Relations to propose concrete policy decisions to critical response situations, which include evacuation depending on the number of emergency assistance requests generated. Therefore, Sri Lankans living abroad are invited to benefit from this portal.