8 more SL refugees arrive in Dhanushkodi seeking asylum

MADURAI: Eight more Sri Lankan refugees landed at the First Sandbar near Dhanushkodi of Tamil Nadu’s coastal Ramanathapuram district on Saturday. They migrated by boat from the economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka and landed after a clandestine departure from Sri Lanka seeking asylum, sources said.

All eight are members of two families and two individuals. They are identified as R Sasikumar of Mannar, R Subiska (9), R Mohith (7), Jayanthini (30), wife of Vasanthakumar, Jaffna, V Iniya (10), V Hariharan, V. Dhanushan (4) and Indhumathi (65), wife of Devaraj, Talaimannar, sources said.

It’s the second such arrival of refugees from Sri Lanka in a week’s time.

After conducting extensive enquiries by multi agencies, they were taken to Mandapam rehabilitation camp. Since March this year, a total of 156 refugees migrated from Sri Lanka to various shores of Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, so far. They are around a total of 45 families, sources said.