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| Sunday, 27 June 2004 |
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Record number of refugeesreturn home by Ananda Kannangara and Ranga Jayasuriya The peaceful atmosphere currently prevailing in the North and East has prompted a record number of 950 refugee families to return to their homes in the area from South India during the first five months of the year. Government Agent, Mannar V. Vishwalingam told the Sunday Observer that a large number of refugees were returning to their homes due to the prevailing ceasefire, though their arrival was illegal without any proper travel documents. "Therefore, the Government must pay special attention to these refugees and make necessary arrangements in co-ordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Colombo," he said. He said such a programme, if started, would be very helpful for a large number of refugees waiting to return to their homes. He said some Lankan families had left the country more than 15 years ago. Recent reports revealed that nearly 120,000 Lankans are presently living in refugee camps in South India. "Around 60,000 of them are living with their relatives and friends, while the rest have found shelter in welfare centres", he said. He added that another important programme of issuing National Identity Cards to refugees is to be implemented with the assistance of the Department for Registration of Persons since a large number of refugees who return from South India do not have identity cards. |
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