The United Nations on Saturday (August 22, 2026) welcomed Sri Lanka ’s decision to simplify immigration procedures to expedite the voluntary return of refugees from India who left the country without valid documents during its decades-long civil war.
Sri Lankan refugees began arriving in Tamil Nadu in large numbers after ethnic violence in the island nation that started in 1983, and the subsequent escalation of the armed conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which went on for nearly three decades.
Resident Coordinator and representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sri Lanka, Marc-Andre Franche, said that through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the intergovernmental organisation will continue to facilitate the return and resettlement of these refugees. “I welcome the Cabinet’s decision on procedures for the voluntary return of Sri Lankan refugees — a key step towards a safe & dignified return after years of displacement,” he said in a post on X.
The Sri Lankan government earlier this month made special arrangements for the initiative aimed at streamlining the process to facilitate the return of refugees from India.
