Chennai, April 25 (BPNS)

With the economic crisis continuing to loom large in Sri Lanka, 15 more  Tamil refugees from the island nation reached the Indian shores on Monday early morning. The refugees have landed at Rameswaram.

Tamil Nadu Coastal police received tips that some Sri Lankan refugees have landed up at the mount near Rameswaram and that they were dropped off there by a  fishing boat.

The coastal police reached the spot and took the refugees into custody and were taken to the Mandapam police station for further inquiry. With the Tamil Nadu government and the Central government going soft on the Tamil refugees reaching Indian shores, the refugees who reached on Monday morning will be shifted to the Mandapam refugee camp after formal inquiries and noting all the details about the 15 persons.

It may be noted that after the economic crisis has engulfed Sri Lanka, 75 refugees have reached the Indian shores including pregnant women and toddlers. The Indian government has directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide the refugees with shelter and food and to wait for further directions.

The state government has the other day sought legal assistance from eminent lawyers who are experts in Human rights law on providing monetary assistance and other facilities to the Sri Lankan refugees who are reaching the shores of Tamil Nadu.

There are more than 1 lakh Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu spread over 67 refugee camps after the civil war had broken out in the island nation and the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu have been supporting them with doles including monetary assistance as well as rations.