Two Sri Lankan Families Seeking Asylum Reach Dhanushkodi In A Small Ferry

After interrogation, the two families said that they paid Rs 1.45 lakh to a ferry operator to reach Dhanushkodi. 

All of them have been lodged in Mandapam camp in Sri Lanka (Image for representation)

Two Sri Lankan families reached Rameshwaram from the island nation seeking asylum in India on Tuesday. The Sri Lankan residents started to illegally travel to India after the country started to face one of the worst economic crises of the century. 

On Tuesday, IANS said, eight people including five women, two children and a man reached the sand dunes near Dhanushkodi from Sri Lanka. The fishermen who saw the family at the sand dune immediately alerted Tamil Nadu coastal police. 

The Tamil Nadu coastal police informed Indian Coast Guard officials who reached the spot and rescued the families in a hovercraft. 

After interrogation, the two families said that they paid Rs 1.45 lakh to a ferry operator to reach Dhanushkodi. 

The Marine police said that the two families were from Dharmapuram near Killinochi in Sri Lanka.

The refugees were identified as M Sasikumar (47), his wife Umadevi (42) and children Yovika (19) and Dvaraga (11) of Dharmapuram. The other family members were identified as Mahendra (60), Parvathi (70), Kamsika (20) and Elavan (15) of Kizhinochi region, said a report on The New Indian Express.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Umadevi said that the situation has not turned to normal ever since the economic crisis hit the nation a year ago. 

All of them have been lodged in Mandapam camp in Sri Lanka. 

Till now, 225 people from Sri Lanka reached the shores of Tamil Nadu since the beginning of the economic crisis. Earlier, CM Stalin said that he had instructed officials to get in touch with the Union ministry concerned and officials, as well, on how to handle this issue legally.

He also said that the Tamil Nadu government will strive to ensure a new dawn to the Lankan Tamils.