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At least 18 more Eelam Tamil refugees landed in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu last night, as Tamils continued to flee Sri Lanka amidst an economic crisis, which has worsened conditions for many given its history of repression and blighted human rights record.
The 18 Eelam Tamils, including a 4-month pregnant woman and a one-and-half-year-old child, reported arrived in Rameswaram in two groups. 13 people came from Mannar and another 5 from Jaffna.
Indian police officials reportedly detained the Tamils, who will be sent to the Mandapam refugee camp.
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The latest arrivals come as at 60 Eelam Tamils have fled to Tamil Nadu in recent weeks alone.
The detention of the Eelam Tamil refugees by Indian authorities led to the haashtag #StopArrestingEelamTamils trend on social media, as outrage grew over the arrests last month.
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“I think the Indian government should consider granting refugee status to these people on humanitarian grounds as the economic situation in Sri Lanka has precipitated a humanitarian crisis,” said Poongkothai Chandrahasan, Managing Director, Serendip Be The Change Foundation. “With acute food shortage, underprivileged families are unable to even feed their children.”
For decades Eelam Tamils have fled Sri Lanka, amidst years of human rights abuses, violence from the security forces and impunity for crimes. However, the current economic crisis has now added to the burden.
