Eighteen more Sri Lankan nationals who fled the crisis-hit island republic arrived in India on Friday, April 22, at Tamil Nadu's Dhanushkodi. The families, who arrived in the wee hours of Friday, are being accommodated at the Mandapam refugee camp. Those who arrived reportedly included a four-month pregnant woman and a 1.5-year-old child.
The families arrived in two batches in as many boats, and were dropped off at Arichalmunai. The 18 people had to brave rains as they travelled along the Indian Ocean to reach India. The New Indian Express reported that out of the 18, seven were children and five were women. The report states that the first batch of 13 refugees arrived from the Mannar region is Sri Lanka. The following batch consisted of five people from Jaffna, who arrived at Cherankottai in Rameshwaram.
They were taken to the Marine Police Station by officials for an enquiry once they reached the Indian shore.
Sri Lanka is grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
The island nation is witnessing large-scale protests against the government's handling of the debt-ridden economy - the worst-ever economic crisis in the country's history. So far, about 42 refugees from the island nation have been accommodated at the Mandapam camp so far, and on Friday, the number increased to 60.