Archive · 10 Nov 2025
UNHCR Hopes to Resume Sri Lankan Refugee Repatriation Amid Citizenship Hurdles
Imagine people from Sri Lanka had to leave their homes and find safety in India a long time ago.
The United Nations, which helps people who need it, has a program to help these people go back home to Sri Lanka if they want to.
But recently, when a few people went back, they were arrested, and this made the United Nations worried, so they had to pause the program for a bit.
Many of these Sri Lankan people have lived in India for so many years, their children and even grandchildren were born there!
It's hard for them because they don't have a country to call their own, and they can't easily get jobs or go to college without citizenship.
Even though they can't easily go back home, the government in a part of India called Tamil Nadu is trying to help them find jobs and become more independent.
They are also working with others to help eligible refugees become official citizens of India.
The United Nations is helping by advising the governments on how to best support these refugees and hoping to start the return program again soon.
The UNHCR is working to restart the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees from India to Sri Lanka, which was suspended following the arrest of four returnees.
Over 80,000 Sri Lankan refugees reside in India, with many in Tamil Nadu having lived there for decades, and some born in India.
The absence of specific refugee legislation in India creates significant hurdles for refugees regarding citizenship, employment, and access to higher education.
The Tamil Nadu government is implementing initiatives to enhance the socio-economic conditions and self-reliance of Sri Lankan refugees, including support for entrepreneurship.
The UNHCR advocates for durable solutions, such as citizenship, emphasizing its role in ending refugeehood and enabling full societal participation.
- Who
- The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Sri Lankan refugees living in India, with involvement from the Tamil Nadu government.
- What
- The UNHCR is working to resume the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees to their homeland after a suspension due to arrests of returnees. Efforts are also underway to find durable solutions for refugees in India, including pathways to citizenship.
- When
- Repatriation was recently suspended; 200 refugees returned last year, and around 50 have expressed interest this year. UNHCR is working to resume the process soon.
- Where
- Sri Lanka and India (primarily Tamil Nadu).
- Why
- Repatriation was suspended due to 'worrying' arrests of returning refugees in Sri Lanka. The UNHCR and Tamil Nadu government are seeking durable solutions for the large refugee population in India, including the challenge of citizenship due to the absence of refugee legislation.
UNHCR Concerns & Refugee Status
Tamil Nadu Government Initiatives & Citizenship Support
Repatriation Suspension
UNHCR Concerns & Refugee Status
The UNHCR has suspended the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees due to the 'worrying' arrests of four returnees upon arrival in Sri Lanka. The UNHCR is working to resume this process.
Tamil Nadu Government Initiatives & Citizenship Support
While the Tamil Nadu government is actively implementing programs for refugees, its specific stance on the arrests that led to the repatriation suspension is not detailed in the provided text.
Pathways to Stability for Refugees
UNHCR Concerns & Refugee Status
The UNHCR advocates for durable solutions like citizenship, repatriation, or resettlement, emphasizing that citizenship ends refugeehood and allows full societal and economic participation. The lack of refugee legislation in India is a major hurdle for refugees seeking citizenship.
Tamil Nadu Government Initiatives & Citizenship Support
The Tamil Nadu government is actively implementing initiatives for livelihood, skill development, financial assistance, and partnerships to foster self-reliance and entrepreneurship among refugees. They are also collaborating to help eligible refugees secure Indian citizenship.
Citizenship Prospects
UNHCR Concerns & Refugee Status
The Citizenship Amendment Act does not offer fast-track citizenship to Sri Lankan refugees. The absence of refugee legislation means many refugees, including those born in India, cannot obtain citizenship, leading to limited job opportunities and denial of access to higher education in government colleges.
Tamil Nadu Government Initiatives & Citizenship Support
The UNHCR notes that the Tamil Nadu government's collaboration with legal practitioners and civil society to help eligible refugees secure Indian citizenship, along with the union government's investments in refugee self-reliance, serves as an 'important example for the world'.
- UNHCR Chief of Mission in India
- Aretti Sienni
- Total Sri Lankan Refugees in India
- Over 80,000
- Refugees Returned Last Year
- 200
- Refugees Expressed Interest in Returning This Year
- Around 50
- Total Voluntary Repatriations Since 2002
- 18,643
- Primary Location of Refugees in India
- Tamil Nadu