Six Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in India, from different age groups, speak about their life in camps, and their hopes and aspirations. For over three decades, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have lived in Tamil Nadu in a protracted situation—without certainty about their future and without viable policy solutions. Three generations have grown up with aspirations they cannot fulfil, surviving through sheer resilience while quietly contributing to the economy of their host communities.
This prolonged uncertainty has left them among the most vulnerable. Encampment policies have deepened their marginalization, preventing thousands from leading productive lives and participating meaningfully in society.
Despite the fact that 79% of these refugees have lived in India for more than 30 years, and 45% were born here and consider India their home, they remain outside the mainstream. Many young refugees have never seen Sri Lanka and struggle to accept it as their homeland. Their reality is one of being “permanently temporary.”