New Delhi: A total of 21 refugees from crisis-hit Sri Lanka reached Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Sunday morning.
According to report by news agency IANS, the refugees, found near a sand mound in Rameswaram’s Dhanushkodi, were taken into custody by the Indian Coast Guard and Tamil Nadu Marine police and interrogated at the Mandapam police station on Sunday.
The police officials said that the people reached India in two fishing boats and they are likely to be shifted to the Mandapam refugee camp.
Earlier on Saturday, four Lankan Tamils, including a man and his wife and two children reached India and were lodged at the Mandapam refugee camp.
While speaking to the IANS reporters, the family said that they were in abject poverty and did not have the means to provide even food to the family and that they were left with no other option but to reach India.
Speaking to media persons, Kishanthan (34) said that there was no food and the family had to go to sleep without food for several days. He even said that the family was helped by Sri Lankan fishermen to cross over to the Indian shores and reach Dhanushkodi.
Gearing up for more refugee influx in the coming days, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to increase the number of refugee camps in the southern state.
As per media reports, Chief Minister MK Stalin has already issued directives to the various state government departments to prepare themselves for the arrival of more Sri Lankan Tamils as crisis in the island nation continues.
He even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting their involvement in the matter.
Notably, as many as 41 refugees have reached the Indian shores since the economic crisis in the island nation.