Sri Lanka beckons, but for refugees in Tamil Nadu, a long road to ‘homecoming’
Nearly 90,000 Sri Lankan refugees reside in India, mostly in Tamil Nadu, having fled the civil war decades ago. While Sri Lanka has recently lifted a legal barrier hindering the voluntary return of these refugees, the prospects remain uncertain for many. Mahendran, a 47-year-old refugee who left Sri Lanka during the conflict, still identifies himself as a Ceylonese despite living in Pudukkottai for 36 years.
His family's difficult journey, filled with hardships, highlights the challenges faced by the returnees. Though the new government decision is welcomed by the UN, only a small fraction of the refugees have returned, primarily due to economic concerns and the uncertain future in Sri Lanka.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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