International

UNHCR begins repatriation of Tamil refugees

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO JUNE 1. W ith the ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government holding for five months, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has begun repatriating the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from Tamil Nadu, but the agency cautioned that it was yet a tentative process.

Three persons in their seventies were the first to return to Sri Lanka earlier this week. They were provided air tickets by the UNHCR up to Colombo from Chennai, and financial assistance for food, lodging and transport home.

The U.N. agency, in a statement here, said that it had been approached by 650 of the 66,000 refugees in the Government-run refugee camps in south India for repatriation. It said it was looking at 85 cases on a priority basis for reasons of age, physical or mental disability and lack of family support in the camps. The three who returned were among 15 whose cases had been fast-tracked because of their "vulnerability'', the UNHCR said. Both the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities had given the UNHCR permission to proceed with the repatriation.

The agency said it had agreed to assist in the repatriation despite its reservations about promoting or facilitating "large-scale, organised repatriation at this stage''. Those who had approached it were being interviewed to ascertain if their desire to go back was voluntary. It had also begun the process of assessing places to which these people want to return for safety, shelter, infrastructure and employment opportunities. Those who are repatriated will have their travel expenses met, and upon arrival in Sri Lanka, will be given Rs. 5,000 an adult and Rs. 2,500 a minor.

The statement noted that 50 refugees had crossed the Palk Straits from India to Mannar on their own, and said that such spontaneous return appeared to be continuing. The UNHCR asked local residents to advise the returnees to report to one of its offices so that they could avail of the assistance the agency was offering. Over 70,000 internally displaced people had also returned to their homes in the northeast since the beginning of this year and the trend had increased after the ceasefire accord was signed, the agency said.

``Although the UNHCR continues to maintain that conditions in Sri Lanka are not yet conducive to promote or facilitate large-scale, organised IDP return or repatriation of refugees from India, the agency is monitoring closely the situation of spontaneous returns to ensure they occur voluntarily, with safety and dignity,'' the statement said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• U.S. concerned about infiltration into India
• 'Pak. has indicated it is acting on curbing terrorism'
• No change in ground situation, says Fernandes
• 'Illegal workers' in Malaysia being ferried back
• Straw's grim assessment causes alarm
• Russia hopes for breakthrough in Almaty
• Polls expose failure of Algerian establishment
• Senior U.N. post for Shashi Tharoor
• France blames U.K. for crisis
• UNHCR begins repatriation of Tamil refugees
• Kyoto Protocol: E.U. members ratify treaty

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu