Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has escalated calls for relief, writing directly to PM Narendra Modi to secure citizenship or long-term visas for 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees mired in legal limbo.
Fleeing Sri Lanka’s 1983 ethnic violence, they arrived with central clearance. Tamil Nadu stepped up with shelter, stipends, schools, and clinics. Decades on, the majority exceeds 30 years in India; 40% are homeland-born, their roots now here.
A state committee, headed by the Minister for Non-Resident Tamils, conducted a thorough assessment, identifying prime candidates for legalization—pre-1987 Indian births, kids of Indians, wed to citizens, of Indian ancestry, long-haul visa seekers.
Challenges stem from the 2003 Citizenship tweak labeling them ‘illegal migrants’ and 1986 holds on claims, though 2025’s exemption order signals change.
Invoking the 2019 P. Ulganathan Madras HC judgment for compassion, Stalin seeks: cancellation of old directives, executive orders skipping passports via verified state papers, district empowerment for applications, and legal clarity exempting pre-2015 registrants from ‘illegal’ tags.
Honoring four decades of disciplined, cultured integration with state backing, he argues against outdated classifications. Stalin trusts the PM’s humane vision will grant these families stability and closure.