Repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from Tamil Nadu India contextualizing options and challenges

Abstract

Nowadays, repatriation discourse has been identified as one of the most notable newlineconcerns in refugee studies at the global level. International refugee, human rights, newlineand humanitarian laws altogether impart diverse provisions with respect to the newlineprinciple of non-refoulement and voluntary repatriation of refugees. The UNHCR is a newlinepredominant international organization that involves and deals with the diverse issues newlinerelated to displacement, resettlement, rehabilitation, repatriation, reintegration, and newlinereconciliation as well. As of the mandate of the organization, voluntary repatriation, newlinelocal integration and resettlement are the three durable solutions in order to address newlinethe question of refugee concerns. newlineRespondent to the violent Civil War in Sri Lanka, a large number of Sri Lankans fled newlinetheir country of origin. As of the official data from the Commissionerate of newlineRehabilitation and Welfare on Non-Resident Tamils (Government of Tamil Nadu), the newlineinflux of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to Tamil Nadu was 3, 04, 269 between 1983- newline2012. Presently, there are 96, 167 Sri Lankan Tamils live in the Indian State as newlinerefugees. Despite not ratified with the most important international refugee laws the newline1951 refugee convention and the protocol of 1967 which stands for the significance of newlinerefugee protection with certain provisions, India treats the diverse refugee newlineiv newlinecommunities in the country on the basis of its humanitarian approach. When the newlinerepatriation of refugees is concerned, the refugees have the rights of non-refoulement newlineand voluntariness in the country as a ratified member to various international human newlinerights treaties that provide pertinent provisions to refugees. The efforts and newlinecontributions of the Indian Government should be acknowledged and appreciated for newlinethe protection of refugee rights and their successive livelihood opportunities. newlineThe present study is focused on the repatriation processes of Sri Lankan Tamil newlineRefugees (SLTR) from the Indian State of Tamil Nadu (TN) to Sri Lanka (SL) which newlinestarts after the historic s