An Eelam Tamil family, who had been displaced from their homes and were residing in Tamil Nadu for more than 30 years, have been arrested as they returned to Jaffna this week.
The family, which consists of a woman, her husband and her mother, originally fled from Eelam in 1990 during the midst of the armed conflict.
They had been living in Chennai for the past 30 years. However, their living situation in India, where many thousands of Eelam Tamil refugee remain in camps without citizenship and in deplorable conditions, drove them to return back to Jaffna.
The three travelled back to Jaffna from the Tamil Nadu coast via boat, and where staying at a relatives’ home in Point Pedro. However, having been alerted to their presence, Sri Lankan police came to the home and arrested all three on Tuesday for illegaly entering the island.
Though this family was arrested on their return, the Sri Lankan security forces also routinely arrest Tamil refugees who attempt to flee the island, as the military occupation of the North-East continues.
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