Twenty Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in the Tamil Nadu state of India set to return home under the UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation programme, IANS reported.

The Sri Lanka government has initiated action to encourage the voluntary refugee returnee programme and the current trend of increased refugee returnees is a sign of reconciliation and moving towards permanent peace, said a top government official.

V Sivagnanasothy, secretary, ministry of prison reforms, rehabilitation, resettlement and Hindu religious affairs, confirmed that of the 20 refugee returnees, 10 are males and 10 are females. “These refugee returnees will return to Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee.”

The UNHCR provides free air tickets, reintegration allowance of $75 per person, transport allowance $9 per person and monitory non-food grant of $75 per family. 

Since 2011, already 5,205 refugees (1,895 families) have returned to Sri Lanka, said Sivagnanasothy.

More than 64,000 are stationed in 109 welfare camps in India. In all, more than 100,000 refugees are currently in India. The ministry initiated a livelihood assistance programme of maximum Rs100,000 per refugee returnee family to support the livelihood activities.

Further, the provision of dry ration has been already approved for six months. The REPPIA has been instructed by the ministry to provide compensation for those who have lost their houses and suffered loss of lives of kith and kin and for injuries. 

Sivagnanasothy informed that the refugees who lost their houses will be provided with houses under the housing programme of the ministry.