Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has urged the government to remove legal and practical barriers faced by Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India seeking to return to Sri Lanka.
Raising the issue in Parliament today, Rasamanickam said returnees continued to face uncertainty over citizenship verification, security clearance, travel documents, housing, land, employment and resettlement.
Responding to the MP, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said steps were being taken to remove legal obstacles faced by Sri Lankan citizens who left the country during the war without using officially recognised points of departure.
The minister said Cabinet approval had been granted for new procedures and that the Department of Immigration and Emigration had been instructed accordingly.
Sri Lankan refugees in India seeking to return can approach Sri Lankan diplomatic or consular offices to establish their citizenship, Wijepala said. Applicants would be required to provide available identity and citizenship documents, after which a security assessment would be obtained through the State Intelligence Service.
Rasamanickam welcomed the move but called on the government to publish clear guidelines explaining the return process, including documentation requirements, security clearance procedures and assistance available after arrival.
He also proposed establishing an integrated mechanism to assist returnees with land, housing, property, compensation, employment and livelihoods, saying legal changes should be accompanied by practical support for families seeking to resettle in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)