Eight more Sri Lankan refugees land at Arichal Munai

MADURAI: With the situation in Sri Lanka continuing to be uncertain, eight more refugees, including two women and two children, from the island nation landed at Arichal Munai in Ramanathapuram district on Tuesday.

The refugees have been identified as D Lavendran (24) of Valvattidurai, Jaffna, his wife Sasikala (24), their one-and-half-year-old son Kathir, Kamala Rani (42), B Ingaran (19), B Sri Ram (14), B Nilani (9) and S Selvaraja Vijayakanth (33) of Chettikulam, Vavuniya, sources said.

According to S Kanagaraj, Inspector of Police, Coastal Security Group, Rameswaram, the refugees, including seven of a family and one more individual reportedly arrived by a boat. Inquiries revealed that the family had paid Rs 5 lakh to the boatman, who dropped them close to Arichal Munai shore.

Almost all refugees, who reach Tamil Nadu through Rameswaram coast seeking asylum were weighed down by economic concerns prevailing in Sri Lanka.

After completion of inquiries by law enforcement agencies, they were taken to Mandapam rehabilitation camp. In the last few months, over a hundred Sri Lankan nationals have arrived in Rameswaram shores as refugees, the Inspector said. The Mandapam camp accommodates about 450 families, sources said.