Forty-one Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Chennai and Madurai returned home on Tuesday under a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesfacilitated repatriation programme.
Of the 41 refugees, 15 are male and 26 female, said diplomatic sources. They are to be resettled in Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu, the Times of India reported.
According to diplomats of the Lankan deputy high commission in the city, there are nearly 100,000 Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu. Last November, 42 refugees had returned. This was in addition to the 429 that re turned during the course of last year.
Of more than 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the state, 5,600 have returned home since 2011. There are 64,000 Lankan Tamils in refugee camps now. Most Lankan Tamil families live in KK Nagar, Neelankarai and Valasaravakkam in Chennai, Thuvakudi in Trichy , Nagercoil in Kanyaku.
-Agencies
