47 refugees return to Lanka

9 November 2011 06:51 am

A total of 47 Sri Lankan refugees departed to the island nation from here on Tuesday under the United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation programme.

This is the second group to leave for Sri Lanka by a ferry after a group of 37 repatriated to their home land on October 11. The refugees boarded a commercial ferry to Colombo from here on Tuesday evening and would reach the island nation after an overnight voyage.

Among them, 43 returned from Sri Lanka as refugees, while four were born during their stay in India. Accordingly, two families from the Vazhavanthaan refugee camp Tiruchi (10 members), five families from the Rayanur refugee camp, Karur (16 members), six families from the Mandapam refugee camp, Ramanathapuram District (13 members) and one family from the Thaapathi refugee camp, Thoothukudi (four members) arrived at the VOC Port here to on board the ferry.

Elders received an assistance of SLR.10,000, while children received SLR.7,000. Apart from this elders received SLR.1,200 and children received SLR.750 for their travel from their respective camps to the port.

The ferry expenses were free of cost and will be borne by the UNHCR. Besides, Sri Lankan refugees returning under UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme would receive a standard reintegration grant as a first step towards helping them restart their lives. (Source: CNN-IBN)