More than five years after the Sri Lankan conflict came to an end, two out of every three Lankan refugees in India want to stay on, a survey has revealed. And among the rest, two out of every three want to go back. There are about one lakh Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. The survey was conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences in collaboration with Adventist Development and Relief Agency and Danish Refugee Council. The findings will be shared with the ministries of External Affairs and Home. It found 67 per cent of 752 respondents preferring “local assimilation”, and 23 per cent preferring “voluntary repatriation”. “From this study, it is evident that the refugees have complex needs and it requires a proactive and inclusive approach,” said K M Parivelan, associate professor with TISS. “Governments of India and Sri Lanka should jointly come forward to address the needs. It will be ideal to have refugee legislation in the first place to recognise refugees and for their welfare. We need to shift from a charity approach to a legal rights-based approach.” The 752 respondents were chosen both from camps in Tamil Nadu and from those not living in camps.
