A small group of refugees '37 individuals representing some 15 families are to depart Tuticorin port of India for Colombo on Wednesday. A welcoming ceremony at Colombo port is planned with Sri Lankan government officials, port and shipping authorities and UNHCR, Adrian Edwards of the UN Refugee Agency said at the press briefing in Geneva Tuesday.
The returns are part of a voluntary, facilitated repatriation programme, supported by the governments of both India and Sri Lanka.
Up to now the refugees have returned to Sri Lanka from India by air and the transport by ferry is significant as it allows them to bring their possessions, the UNHCR said.
Many refugees are waiting for ferry returns in order to transport their household possessions with them. Each person could bring up to 150 kilograms of their belongings.
The UN agency says since the conflict ended in May 2009, Sri Lankan refugees have been steadily returning back to their home country, mainly from India with a few from other countries. Over 1,400 refugees have returned so far this year, compared to 2,054 refugees in 2010.
The refugees upon their return in the country receive a reintegration grant and transport allowance to help them get back to their homes.
Once the returnees reach their final destination in the country, they can approach one of UNHCR's five offices in the North and East to obtain a kit of basic household supplies.
Refugees have told the UNHCR that the major problems they face on return to Sri Lanka have been earning a living, and finding shelter.
According to Indian Government figures, some 69,000 Sri Lankan refugees were living in 112 camps in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. UNHCR's most recent statistics showed there were 141,063 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with the majority in India, followed by France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia, the United States and Italy.
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