Sri Lankan Refugees in India

In recent years, the consecutive refugee crisis has brought India’s refugee protection scheme to the limelight, exposing its vulnerabilities and capriciousness towards the protection of refugees. Along with Myanmar and Afghanistan, Sri Lanka is the latest country to produce a refugee crisis that may have a significant impact over India.

Since 2022, due to various factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, declining tourist trade, fuel crisis, shortage of essential supplies and spiralling debt, Sri Lanka has witnessed the largest economic crisis since its independence. The culminating political crisis led to Sri Lankan nationals migrating to neighbouring countries like India and Australia. As for India, Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu has become a viable destination with Sri Lankan refugees using illegal means such as ferry to reach there. So far, India has been tolerant and welcoming towards Sri Lankan Tamils. Since the crisis, the union government has provided a financial aid of $3.5 billion to Sri Lanka and has also allotted `80 crore in 2021–22 for welfare schemes for Sri Lankan Tamils in camps along with other amenities like cash assistance, subsidised rice, free clothes, etc.