Refugees return as country back to normal - UNHCR Dy Representative
By Ranil WIJAYAPALA
Many Sri Lankans who left in fear of terrorism have begun returning
home as they feel the country is safe. According to latest UNHCR
statistics a total of 146,098 Sri Lankan refugees live in 64 countries.
Jennifer Pagonis |
India, France, Canada, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Malaysia, Australia,
the United States and Italy are the top 10 countries hosting Sri Lankan
refugees. The UNHCR assisted many Sri Lankan refugees living in India to
return. The UNHCR Deputy Representative in Sri Lanka Jennifer Pagonis
says that Sri Lankan refugees in Malaysia and Hong Kong say they are
seriously thinking of returning and that more Sri Lankan refugees may
return in the year 2011. Their decision should be voluntary. As armed
conflict has ceased in the North, it is important that persons seeking
asylum take this positive development into account. She also says that
UNHCR Headquarters recommends asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka need no
longer be recognized as refugees solely on the basis of the 'extended
definition' (i.e. due to generalised violence). Following is the text of
the interview the Sunday Observer had with Jennifer Pagonis.
Q: What is UNHCR's final count on the Sri Lankan refugees living in
Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in India and also refugees who returned to Sri
Lanka after May 2009?
A: According to Indian government figures end-July 2010, there are
71,654 Sri Lankan refugees living in some 112 camps and 32,467 living
outside.
The latest figures from Jan - September 30 show that 1,280 refugees
returned voluntarily from India with UNHCR facilitated returns compared
to 843 in all of 2009. Also this year, over 1,000 refugees approached
UNHCR offices in Sri Lanka to report that they had returned on their own
accord - (spontaneous returns). The number of refugee returns are
increasing and UNHCR thinks this trend will continue.
Q: What is the status of Sri Lankans who had sought UNHCR refugee
status living in other countries? Are they also willing to return?
A: It's not easy to predict how many Sri Lankan refugees will want to
return home. Many have been away for years and have established
themselves elsewhere. But others will want to come home. No one wants to
be a refugee and usually there is a strong desire of refugees to return
home when they feel it is safe. Refugees want to be reunited with their
families and friends and live in their own country. A year after the
conflict, some Sri Lankan refugees in Malaysia and Hong Kong say they
are seriously thinking of coming home. It is a process that takes time
as refugees look at conditions in their home area, weigh it up to
return.
According to UNHCR's most recent statistics for end-June 2010, -
gathered from governments and also from UNHCR - a total of 146,098 Sri
Lankan refugees are in 64 countries. India, France, Canada, Germany, UK,
Switzerland, Malaysia, Australia, the United States and Italy are the
top 10 countries hosting Sri Lankan refugees.
Q: What kind of trend do you observe among Sri Lankan refugees in
India?
A: This year we estimate there may be around 2,000 refugees that
UNHCR will help return home, and around 3,000 spontaneous returnees that
later approach UNHCR, Sri Lanka for help in restarting their lives.
But, we have to be cautious about figures. Without full access to the
refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, it is difficult for UNHCR to get an
accurate picture of the wishes of refugees to return. Many may be well
integrated into their lives in Tamil Nadu and not wish to return.
Q: Does UNHCR have direct access to the camps where Sri Lankan
refugees live? If not, how do you deal with Sri Lankan refugees living
there?
A: UNHCR has access to the Sri Lankan refugees in India. However,
UNHCR does not have access to work in the Sri Lankan refugee camps in
Tamil Nadu. These camps were established by the Indian government and
are directly managed by the authorities. Refugees who wish to repatriate
can contact UNHCR's office in Chennai where we can provide assistance to
help them return.
Q: There are contradicting reports - some wish to return while some
are reluctant to do so.
What is UNHCR's observation on these reports? Have you made any
survey on those lines?
A: The decision to return is an individual one. Since the end of the
conflict last year, UNHCR has seen an increase in the numbers of Sri
Lankan refugees in India who wish to return home. However, it is always
difficult to predict with any certainty how refugees will react to the
end of a conflict in their country. But, in UNHCR's wide experience
around the globe with voluntary repatriation, refugees frequently want
to return home as soon as they possibly can. In one of the largest
repatriation operations in the world, more than 3.5 million Afghans have
returned home to Afghanistan from Pakistan with UNHCR help since 2002.
Some develop family ties in the country of asylum or they have
continuing fears of persecution in the country of origin-and need to
remain in the country of asylum or to resettle in a third country. That
is why it is essential that all repatriation movements are voluntary
ones.
Q: The UNHCR a few months back made a statement that Sri Lanka is
safe for refugee return. What steps have you taken to convey this
message to the refugees living there?
A: At this stage UNHCR is not actively encouraging the return of
refugees to Sri Lanka. Our current task is to ensure that Sri Lankan
refugees abroad have up to date information about the situation in their
areas of origin, and to help them come home if and when they decide to
return. When they decide they want to come home to Sri Lanka, we help
them do so. We call this 'facilitated' voluntary repatriation. In fact,
most voluntary repatriations worldwide are facilitated, rather than
promoted.
Q: In which way are you extending support to refugees to return and
resettle in their villages?
A: Currently, those returning under UNHCR's facilitated voluntary
repatriation program are met at the airport by a UNHCR staff member.
They receive a modest transport grant from UNHCR to help them make
their own arrangements to get from the airport to their home area.
After arriving in their home area, they can contact the nearest UNHCR
local office for a standard package of non-food items (NFIs) to help
them with the basic essentials to restart their lives such as mosquito
nets, bucket, jerry can, plastic mats, plastic sheets, cooking set. (the
same kit as for IDP returnees).
UNHCR local offices also give advice on where to go to obtain
replacement legal documentation such as birth certificates, which can be
a big concern for refugees. We are currently in discussion with relevant
national authorities about how we can better support the government
offices who issue these documents in the areas of largest numbers of
returns.
UNHCR cannot meet refugees returning spontaneously at the airport as
these refugees return on their own without notice to us. Similarly, we
are unable to provide such returnees with an onward transport grant.
Q: There may be thousands of Tamil refugees who are without any
travel documents living in those refugee camps in India with the hope of
returning to their country. How is UNHCR supporting those refugees to
return to their country through legal channels?
A: The issuance or replacement of travel documents is carried out by
the Government of Sri Lanka. We understand this is a fairly
straightforward process. Refugees who wish to return can contact the Sri
Lankan Deputy High Commissioner's office in Chennai to obtain their
one-way emergency travel documents.
Q: There were many instances in which some refugees tried to return
to the country by illegal means paying exorbitant prices to human
smugglers. What steps can UNHCR take to avoid such situations? What is
your message to those refugees?
A: Due to the positive developments in Sri Lanka's security
situation, UNHCR is streamlining the return process to help Sri Lankan
refugees in India who wish to return home. We hope that this will reduce
delays and make the return process easier, so that they would not have
to resort to other means.
Q: There may be children born to refugees during their stay in India.
What would be the plight of these children if they were to return?
A: Generally Sri Lankans abroad are required to register the birth of
a child in the Sri Lankan mission in that country. For refugee families
in India, this means registering the birth with the Sri Lankan Deputy
High Commissioner's Office in Chennai. Once they return to Sri Lanka,
the families are also required to validate these registrations. At the
same time, the Government of Sri Lanka has taken several positive steps
to resolve citizenship issues among the Sri Lankan refugee population in
Chennai.
Q: What sort of dialogue does the UNHCR now have with the Indian
Government, the Provincial Government and also with the Sri Lankan
Government with regard to the return of Sri Lankan refugees?
A: UNHCR continues to be in close dialogue with both the Sri Lankan
and Indian Governments on the situation of Sri Lankan refugees in
Chennai.
Q: How long would it take for all Sri Lankan refugees to return to
their country?
A: We are trying to assist all who wish to return. Others may wish to
wait.
Some may wish to remain in the current countries of asylum, having
developed strong links there over the years.
Q: There are certain Tamil groups and civilians still seeking refugee
status in other countries. What is UNHCR's observation on those people?
A: It is UNHCR's position that all claims filed by asylum-seekers
from Sri Lanka should be examined and decided upon on the basis of
individual merit and the need for international protection.
Armed conflict has now ceased in the North, and it is important that
persons deciding asylum applications today take into account this
positive development.
UNHCR Headquarters globally recommends that asylum-seekers from Sri
Lanka need no longer be recognized as refugees solely on the basis of
the "extended definition" (i.e. due to generalized violence).
Claims should instead be considered on the basis of a well-founded
fear of being persecuted on one of the five grounds, political opinion,
nationality, religion, race or membership of a particular social group.
UNHCR's recently issued eligibility guidelines (June 2010) elaborate
on the main profiles of types of people who may continue to be at risk
of persecution.
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