Seven Sri Lankan Tamils flee home country to arrive on Indian shores; exodus grows to 90

Sri Lanka's ongoing economic crisis has resulted in at least 90 persons including women, children and the elderly fleeing their home country and reaching Indian shores. They do so by taking risky and illegal overnight boat rides across the Palk Strait, a strip of ocean that connects the Northern region of Sri Lanka with Tamil Nadu, in India. A group of seven Lankan Tamils hailing from Vavuniya and Trincomalee arrived in Tamil Nadu's Dhanushkodi. As per standard protocol, the individuals were questioned by the authorities, following which they were taken to the Mandapam refugee camp in the region.

Since March, India has been spearheading the efforts to help the island nation tide over the crisis. The Indian Government has generously provided financial aid, fuel, food and medical supplies to aid the people of Sri Lanka, amid their nation's worst-ever crisis. As the Indian state that is nearest to Sri Lanka and also as one that shares deep cultural and linguistic ties with the Tamils in the island nation, Tamil Nadu too has been actively sending aid to Sri Lanka in batches. The Government of Tamil Nadu has been providing essential medicines, milk powder and rice to the Sri Lankan Government, via the Indian High Commission in Colombo. 

Those who have been fleeing to India are entirely members of the Lankan Tamil community, who hail from the northern region of the island nation. As daily wage earners and with families to feed, these individuals are worst-hit by the economic crisis as their wages remain stagnant and prices of essentials continue to skyrocket. Under these circumstances, they abandon or sell their modest belongings to make enough cash for an illegal boat ride across the Palk Strait. they undertake the arduous journey in the hope of living as refugees at a camp in Tamil Nadu. 

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