Sri Lankan Tamil Migration and Settlement

Abstract

With the end of armed struggle in Sri Lanka, there will be now more pressure and anxiety among the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates, especially living in the West. As most of them are refugees or asylum seekers, Western countries might intensity their repatriation attempts and can compel them to return home. Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who formed the largest part of the expatriate population after 1983 Sri Lanka riots, have established themselves comfortably, particularly in Canada, Western Europe and Australia. Since the 1980s, alliance between the Colombo refugee agencies and European mafia has been reported numerous times. Though the Western governments responded with stricter repatriation policies, many Sri Lankan Tamils still managed to escape from their legal grip and continued staying in the West. Through appeals, protests and demonstrations, they tried convincing the Western governments of the human rights violations done by the Sri Lankan government. The Sri Lankan Tamil asylum-seekers also employed eccentric methods when they were detained by hard-line asylum policies in the respective countries. The multidimensionality of relations outside Sri Lanka has further helped in their migration and settlement. The post-1983 scenario created a setting to live an accomplished family and community life for the Sri Lankan Tamils by which they could constantly keep in touch with their relations, friends and culture, just like in homeland. Being born and bred outside Sri Lanka, the second generation Tamils, though curious about their traditions and customs, they are culturally more of West than Tamil. The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the West has political and economic interests in Sri Lanka. However, not more than five per cent Tamil diaspora population is willing to return home. In such a scenario, the earlier conditions during deportation might revive. The Tamils may use their escape mechanisms to sustain in the West. In the light of this analysis, time has come to reconsider the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora’s profile, demography and settlement pattern.