28,500 Indian-origin refugees to get Lankan citizenship
About 28,500 Tamils of Indian-origin now living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu will soon get Sri Lankan citizenships, a prominent Marxist party MP claimed on Friday.
By PTI |
COLOMBO: About 28,500 Tamils of Indian-origin now living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu will soon get Sri Lankan citizenships, a prominent Marxist party MP claimed on Friday.
"We have discussed citizenship issue with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and he has assured the matter will be taken up soon," a Parliament Member of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) R Chandrasekaran told reporters.
Efforts are on to complete the formalities in this regard by the end of this month, he said.
The Parliament select committee has been discussing the issue for the last six months after it was reported that several thousand refugees, who had left the Island country due to war between Tiger rebels and the army, were residing in camps in Tamil Nadu.
Chandrasekaran said when the JVP members visited Tamil Nadu recently, as many as 28,500 ethnic Indians pleaded for help to get Lankan citizenship.
The refugees do not have citizenship of any country and also do not possess passports, birth certificates or Identity Cards to prove their identity, he said.
"We made a request to the Prime Minister to intervene in soon granting these refugees citizenship of the country. He gave a positive response towards the matter and agreed to present a cabinet paper," the MP said.
Since amendments must be made to the existing law for granting the citizenships, a bill has been prepared to this effect and was under the consideration of the Attorney General's Department.
"As soon as we get the bill approved, the PM has agreed to present it to Parliament. All parties have promised their support towards the bill being passed in Parliament," he added.
"We have discussed citizenship issue with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and he has assured the matter will be taken up soon," a Parliament Member of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) R Chandrasekaran told reporters.
Efforts are on to complete the formalities in this regard by the end of this month, he said.
The Parliament select committee has been discussing the issue for the last six months after it was reported that several thousand refugees, who had left the Island country due to war between Tiger rebels and the army, were residing in camps in Tamil Nadu.
Chandrasekaran said when the JVP members visited Tamil Nadu recently, as many as 28,500 ethnic Indians pleaded for help to get Lankan citizenship.
The refugees do not have citizenship of any country and also do not possess passports, birth certificates or Identity Cards to prove their identity, he said.
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"We made a request to the Prime Minister to intervene in soon granting these refugees citizenship of the country. He gave a positive response towards the matter and agreed to present a cabinet paper," the MP said.
Since amendments must be made to the existing law for granting the citizenships, a bill has been prepared to this effect and was under the consideration of the Attorney General's Department.
"As soon as we get the bill approved, the PM has agreed to present it to Parliament. All parties have promised their support towards the bill being passed in Parliament," he added.
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