Sources indicate that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu requested that the central government of India give Sri Lankan refugees Indian citizenship ( The Hindu 3 Nov. The Hindu reports that refugee demands, communicated when officials visited Tamil Nadu camps in November 2009, include the issuance of identity documents for those who do not have them, as well as the need for "standardized refugee certificates" (3 Nov. Lastly, the Regional Director of JRS South Asia indicated that Sri Lankan refugees can obtain a refugee certificate, which is needed to return to Sri Lanka it is issued by the local administration through the revenue inspector of the camp in which the refugee has been living (11 Jan.
TAMIL EELAM IDENTITY CARD REGISTRATION
The website also indicates that the registration of the birth, which requires the birth certificate issued by the competent authority in the country of the birth of the child, should be made at the same time as the application for the citizenship certificate (ibid.). The website of the Deputy High Commission in Chennai corroborates that the application for the citizenship certificate of a child born to Sri Lankan parents abroad requires the parents' marriage certificate (Sri Lanka n.d.). This Sri Lankan citizenship certificate can be obtained from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Chennai, but not many children born in India to Sri Lankan parents have the citizenship certificate (JRS 11 Jan. A marriage certificate can be obtained from the authorized registrar and is essential in order for parents to obtain a Sri Lankan citizenship certificate for their child. Death certificates can also be obtained at the local panchayat office. The JRS Regional Director stated that within one month of a child's birth, Sri Lankan refugees can obtain a birth certificate at the local panchayat (government) office. A December 2009 article in The Hindu reports that Sri Lankan refugees would be able to obtain driver's licenses if a designated camp authority approved it (25 Dec. Additionally, some Sri Lankan refugees are able to obtain a driver's license, due to a shift in government policy (JRS 11 Jan. Sri Lankan refugees also have individual identity cards that carry their name and address, which are useful when authorities verify identification outside of the camp. Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu are issued a family card that includes a family photo, names of the family members, their age, relationship, gender, date of arrival in India, location of arrival, education, as well as their address in Sri Lanka. JRS is an international Catholic organization with a mandate to defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people (N.d.). The information on identity documents for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the following paragraphs was obtained from 11 January 2010 correspondence with the Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) South Asia. The USCRI Survey also indicates that Sri Lankans are not entitled to residence permits, but that the government does issue Sri Lankans identity documents (29 July 2009). According to USCRI, though India does not recognize the refugee status designations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR), it "typically does not refoule them either" UNHCR's refugee certificates do not protect refugees from detention for their illegal presence within India (29 July 2009). The United States ( US) Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008 states that the government of India considers Sri Lankans living in settlements and camps to be refugees (25 Feb. The USCRI Survey states that, in some instances, India grants Sri Lankans asylum under executive policies, "based on strategic, political and humanitarian grounds" (29 July 2009).
Committee for Refugees and Immigrants ( USCRI) World Refugee Survey states that approximately 73,300 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees live in more than 100 camps in the state of Tamil Nadu, while another 26,300 live outside of the camps and are registered with the local police (29 July 2009). Sources indicate that there are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in India ( US 21 Jan.
Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content.
Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of CanadaĬanada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka/India: Status of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India, including information on identity documents, citizenship, movement, employment, property, education, government aid, camp conditions and repatriation (2008-January 2010), 3 February 2010, ZZZ103357.E, available at:
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