'Livelihood and housing will facilitate refugee return'

by Manjula Fernando

It is ridiculous if not offensive to say Lankan refugees in India are fleeing persecution. But, nonetheless, they have started to show up at Australia's doorstep, as unwelcome illegal immigrants arriving in boats.

What drives these refugees to go on this perilous journey on the rough seas?

As unfortunate as it seems what drives them off on a perilous journey in a rickety boat, is not the fear of abduction, systematic rape, torture or arrest without trial. It's nothing as gruesome as what they say to establish a proper claim.

A Lankan refugee advocate based in India who wished to remain anonymous said, they have opted to flee due to uncertainties in finding suitable employment and proper housing in Sri Lanka.

"Almost all of these people are willing to come back if they are given an assurance of proper livelihood and housing. Only a fraction of refugees dream of greener pastures in a developed country," she said.

As many as 3000 of the Lankan refugees numbering a total of 65,598 as of January 2014, have graduated with university degrees in various disciplines. A vast majority are IT scholars. They don't want to end up as a carpenter or a mason in Sri Lanka, she told the Sunday Observer.

This fear is also driving some of them to succumb to human smugglers tricks. An opportunity to explore greener pastures in a first world country seems more sensible than the reality in India or Sri Lanka. Some refugees reckon that the 'blessed gateway to the first world' created by the bloody conflict in Sri Lanka is about to shut down. There is no time to waste and hurry they must!

The LTTE backed human smugglers have been using this bait on the desperate refugees, to fulfill two objectives, sustain the out bound flow of refugees and attack Sri Lanka while sustaining a lucrative livelihood.

War displaced have been traveling up and down between India and Sri Lanka during the past 26 years of LTTE terror. After the withdrawal of IPKF and escalation of conflict in 1990, around 120,000 displaced Tamils left for Tamil Nadu. In 1992 to 1995 hundreds of them came back on a repatriation drive arranged by the two governments. Again in 2002, during the ceasefire, refugees came back to Sri Lanka. Months after the end of war, in 2010 a few opted to return with the assistance of UN Refugee Agency. Over 65,000 Lankans still remain in 113 camps in 25 districts including Thiruvannamalai, Thirunelveli, Dharmapuri and Salem in Tamil Nadu.

This include 16,000 children under the age of eleven years, 15,500 children between 12 to 17 years and 34,000 above 18 years and over.

Educated youth are working in private companies as IT professionals, etc. Although these people are well looked after, they have no status in India as citizens. They have been issued refugee IDs and needs to report their movements.

They have no restrictions to travel outside the camp, but a written permission has to be sought if he is traveling far. A local Camp Head who does the work similar to a Grama Niladari needs to be informed of his trip. A head count is done every month by the Camp Head where all refugees are required to be present.

"Earlier, the Q Branch Officers were present at the head count which was done every week. This is a task now handled by the Camp Head, a civilian officer."

In view of the recent incident of a Tamil refugee girl, Nandini, not being allowed to enter the state medical college, the Refugee Advocate said, this was due to the quota system determined by the medical council of the State. She said, "The state medical colleges are cheaper so there is a huge competition among Indian students for admission." Instead Nandini can pursue a science degree course.

The Refugee Advocate said the Indian central and state governments were making a joint contribution to look after the Lankan refugees and there is nothing much for them to complain.

The Indian central government dole out Indian Rs. 1000 to the head of the family and Rs.750 to the spouse while any additional member is paid Rs.400 each. The electricity to the refugee campsite too is provided free.

The state government allocates 20kg of free rice per month for a family, pensions for elders, marriage assistance, education scholarships and incentives for completing secondary education, etc.

According to the New Indian Express, however, the higher education still remained a struggle for refugee children. The Tamil Nadu state first introduced higher education quotas for Tamil refugee children in 1984, giving them access to Arts and Science colleges. In 1991 it was stalled with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE.

Later in 1996, the placements for refugee children were restored by the DMK Government. An order delivered by a five judge bench in Madras High Court in 2003, again pruned the quota of children of refugee families. Janatha Party Leader Dr.Subramanian Swamy took a leading role to intervene and petition the High Court against the order.

Today nearly 500 refugee children gain access each year to state Arts and Science Colleges including Engineering.

If the parents of these children decide to come back, there will be no restrictions for high-fliers like Nandini for admission to any state university or medical college in Sri Lanka. The admission is purely based on merit and district quotas. Those who score highest, despite their ethnicity will be eligible to enter any university to follow courses of their choice.

"These people need to be educated about Sri Lanka, the opportunities that await them. They have become easy pray for unscrupulous elements trying to sell them beautiful dreams that turn into nightmares," she said.

She said as long as these people are ignorant of the developments taken place in their home towns since their departure and the endless opportunities that await them back in Sri Lanka, no effort can cease the flow of boats to Australia or elsewhere. More than 80 Tamil refugees who have returned to Sri Lanka since 2010 have secured pensionable state sector jobs. A total of about 5000 Tamils have come back since 2010 with the facilitation of UN Refugee Agency.

"A small group of refugees toy the idea, that they have a better chance of claiming asylum in Australia if they leave India by boat like that. They want to exploit this avenue."

But it is absurd, she said, for refugees fleeing India to plead asylum under the UN Refugee Convention since they are not being persecuted in India. Even if they flee Sri Lanka, under the present circumstances they cannot establish a refugee claim. "There is no well-founded fear."

The refugee advocate who had been working with the Lankans in Tamil Nadu for many years said an assurance of a livelihood that complements their education and proper housing is all what is needed to facilitate their return.

These people have lived in camps a good part of their lives. If the uncertainties are cleared, a vast majority will come back and it will mark the end of the road for LTTE backed human smugglers.