UNHCR Halts Sri Lankan Refugee Repatriation: A Humanitarian and Diplomatic Issue
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance; Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate (specifically UNHCR).
Key Highlights from the News
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has temporarily suspended the repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from India.
This decision was made after some voluntarily returned refugees were arrested by Sri Lankan authorities.
The arrests were based on allegations of violating immigration laws by illegally leaving the country.
During the civil war (ethnic conflict), it was customary to overlook such immigration law violations, as people fled to save their lives. The current arrests go against this custom.
These arrests violate the fundamental principle of ensuring the safety and dignity of voluntarily returning refugees.
India is discussing this issue with Sri Lanka through diplomatic channels.
The decision is to suspend repatriation until Sri Lankan authorities provide assurance that refugees will not be arrested.
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