Tamil Nadu Issues Red Alert In Coastal Areas Over Refugee Influx

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday issued a red alert in the coastal areas to prevent a larger inflow of refugees from the island nation. 

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday issued a red alert in the coastal areas to prevent a larger inflow of refugees from the island nation. This comes after 16 Sri Lankans landed at Rameswaram and Mandapam on Tuesday.

“During 1980 and then 2010 during civil wars, Sri Lankan Tamils had come in large numbers to Tamil Nadu, and around 1 lakh people are still in rehabilitation camps in the state. However, according to the United Nations charter of 1951, economic crisis in a country cannot be considered to provide refugee status,” a senior state government official told IANS.

While the three adults who had reached Rameswaram on Tuesday morning were remanded to judicial custody along with two children, the ten who came at night were shifted to the Mandapam camp. This was owing to the directive from the Tamil Nadu government to consider those who arrive as refugees.

The Tamil Nadu government has contacted the Centre on the status of those refugees who reach the state. Chief Minister MK Stalin while speaking in the Assembly on Thursday said that the state government would act according to the directive of the Union government.

Meanwhile, fishermen at Rameswaram and Mandapam continued their protest over the arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

(With inputs from IANS)