Colombo: The number of Sri Lankan refugees, mostly from India, returning home has seen a marked drop in 2011 when compared with the previous year, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.
The latest UNHCR statistics has shown that a total of 1,728 Sri Lankan refugees had returned under UNHCR?s facilitated voluntary repatriation programme in 2011.
In 2010 UNHCR helped some 2,054 Sri Lankan refugees come home. In 2009, UNHCR facilitated the voluntary return of some 818 individuals.
In October 2011, UNHCR opened up the return of Sri Lankan refugees from India to Colombo by ferry, adding a new dimension to its voluntary repatriation programme.
Until then, all returns took place by air.
However the ferry service was suspended one month later. Apart from those who returned from India, a small numbers have also returned from Malaysia, Georgia and the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia.
A majority of the returns are taking place to eastern district of Trincomalee. A substantial number is also going back to the Mannar and Vavuniya districts in the country’s north while small groups are returning to Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, Colombo, Ampara, Puttalam and Kandy.
UNHCR's most recent statistics show that as of end-2010 there are some 141,063 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with a majority -some 69,000 in 112 refugee camps and another 32,000 living outside camps in Tamil Nadu, India.
The other main countries with Sri Lankan refugees are France, Canada, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia, the United States and Italy.
In 2010 UNHCR helped some 2,054 Sri Lankan refugees come home. In 2009, UNHCR facilitated the voluntary return of some 818 individuals.
In October 2011, UNHCR opened up the return of Sri Lankan refugees from India to Colombo by ferry, adding a new dimension to its voluntary repatriation programme.
Until then, all returns took place by air.
However the ferry service was suspended one month later. Apart from those who returned from India, a small numbers have also returned from Malaysia, Georgia and the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia.
A majority of the returns are taking place to eastern district of Trincomalee. A substantial number is also going back to the Mannar and Vavuniya districts in the country’s north while small groups are returning to Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, Colombo, Ampara, Puttalam and Kandy.
UNHCR's most recent statistics show that as of end-2010 there are some 141,063 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with a majority -some 69,000 in 112 refugee camps and another 32,000 living outside camps in Tamil Nadu, India.
The other main countries with Sri Lankan refugees are France, Canada, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia, the United States and Italy.
Source : zeenews.india.com
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