Govt. appoints committee to repatriate Sri Lankan refugees from India

The government yesterday appointed a committee to facilitate the repatriation of Lankan refugees from India, according to a statement from the President’s Office.

It said around 58,000 Lankans are currently residing in Tamil Nadu, India, as refugees and only 3,800 of them are ready to return at present.

The committee, headed by Additional Secretary to the President Chandima Wickramasinghe, comprises the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a senior official of the Registrar General’s Department and a senior official of the Ministry of Justice.

This decision was reached during the discussion held yesterday (05) at the President’s Office under the chairmanship of the President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake at the request of the Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR), to bring back the Sri Lankans who have gone to India as refugees due to the war.

The Sri Lanka Deputy High Commissioner’s Office in Chennai is coordinating the efforts in this regard, the statement said

C.S. Chandrahasan from the OFERR, S. Suriyakumari, the Secretary to the Public Administration Ministry, officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, officials of the Ministry of Justice, officials of the Immigration and Emigration Department, and officials of the Registrar General’s Department participated in this meeting.