In search of new home: Over a dozen of Sri Lankans arrive in TN...The influx is expected to surge!

After facing the worst economic crisis, several people from Sri Lanka are leaving the country in search of new homes in the neighbouring territories. As Tamil Nadu is close to the Sri Lankan mainland, the state has been expecting a surging influx of people from Sri Lanka. Now, on Sunday- April 10, a dozen of Sri Lankans had arrived in Tamil Nadu and among them was a refugee, whose family had returned to Sri Lanka in 1996 from Tamil Nadu.

According to reports, 21-year-old Kodeeswaran is back in the Mandapam refugee camp in Ramanathapuram on Sunday as he has fled Sri Lanka. Kodeeswaran's family had returned to Sri Lanka from the Mandapam camp in 1996 before he was born. Now, he is back with his wife who is three months pregnant as his family has decided to leave the country after enduring the worst economic crisis. 

Kodeeswaran and Kasthuri were among the 19 more people who had arrived at Dhanushkodi in the wee hours of Sunday. The group includes seven women and five children and they belong to five families. After their arrival, all of them were taken to Mandapam camp. Speaking to the media, Kodeeswaran said, "People in Sri Lanka had food even during the times of war. But now, they are starving and don't know how they would survive." 

He said that in Sri Lanka, they had to buy a packet of bread for Rs 200 and a small biscuit packet for Rs 90. A kilogram of rice costs Rs 250 and the growing inflation has been troubling lakhs of people. A refugee in the group has said that the prices of all essential commodities like milk, sugar, and dhal have been rising every day. 

The reports say that including the 19 people, Tamil Nadu had witnessed the arrival of 39 refugees so far from Sri Lanka as of Sunday. All of them were taken to the Mandapam Camp. The Tamil Nadu government has been preparing to address the influx. Earlier, while speaking to IANS, a senior bureaucrat said, "Already 20 Sri Lankan Tamils are housed at the Mandapam refugee camp since their arrival following the financial crisis in Sri Lanka and our Chief Minister has directed all the departments to take a benevolent view of the refugees." 

Chief Minister MK Stalin has instructed the government departments to prepare themselves for the arrival of more Sri Lankan Tamils. He also had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting their intervention in the matter. 

 

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