Appeal to Sri Lanka on World Refugees Day, 20 June

Friday, 20 June 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camp in Tamil Nadu

India’s compassion as a host nation sets a precedent and now Sri Lanka must welcome its people back with justice and opportunity.

On the occasion of World Refugees Day on 20 June, S.C. Chandrahasan of the Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR) has appealed to the Sri Lankan Government to welcome back Lankan refugees and enable them to lead a dignified life in their native land.

In a statement, Chandrahasan said that for decades, India has served as a sanctuary for refugees from across the world: Tibetans, Afghans, Burmese, Africans, and, most notably, Sri Lankan Tamils. Among these groups, the treatment of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees stands out as a rare example of benevolence. It provided shelter, education, and livelihood opportunities in Tamil Nadu which enable them to rebuild their lives with dignity.

This humane approach should serve as a global model for refugee protection. Yet, the ultimate measure of justice lies not just in how refugees are hosted, but in seeking the most durable solutions.

The Sri Lankan civil war displaced hundreds of thousands, many of whom have lived in exile for over 30 years in Tamil Nadu. Today, a growing number wish to return not out of coercion, but out of a deep-rooted desire to reclaim their land, identity, and future.

However, bureaucratic hurdles, land disputes, restrictive zoning laws, and competing claims by Sri Lankan Government departments and the economic crisis of the country stand in their way.

If Sri Lanka is to truly reconcile and rebuild, it must create conditions that make return not just possible, but sustainable.

This means: Restoring land rights, ensuring returnees can reclaim their homes and farms; providing livelihood opportunities so they can rebuild, and not just return to poverty, guaranteeing legal protections, so they are not second-class citizens in their own country.

Such measures outlined in a policy accompanied with an implementation mechanism would transform repatriation into a genuine homecoming and a model of post-conflict reintegration that the world could emulate.

The international community, including diaspora groups and foreign governments that once fuelled the war, now has a moral obligation to invest in peace. If they were willing to fund decades of fight for dignity and identity, they should be equally willing to fund reconciliation—supporting housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunities for returnees.

India, having already nurtured these refugees for generations, can play a pivotal role by advocating a structured, rights-based voluntary repatriation policy in Sri Lanka, offering technical and financial support for reintegration programs, and encouraging international partnerships to ensure sustainable resettlement.

Blueprint for the future

The story of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees does not have to end in perpetual exile or forced return. Instead, it can become a testament to how nations can heal after conflict by honouring the dignity of those who were displaced.

India’s compassion as a host nation sets a precedent. Now, Sri Lanka’s willingness to welcome its people back with justice and opportunity must complete the picture. Together, they can demonstrate that the true measure of peace is not just the end of war, but the restoration of home, Chandrahasan said.

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