Against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s conflict which displaced hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans, the Government of Sri Lanka called upon UNHCR to establish a presence on the island in 1987 to assist and facilitate the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees returning from India. UNHCR opened offices in the north and east to conduct the repatriation exercise. 

 

The repatriation and reintegration operations began drawing to a close in the late 1990s as hostilities resumed between the Government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE).

 

In 1990, just as its activities were to wind down, UNHCR was requested to expand its protection and assistance to include not only the refugees immediately under its mandate, but also the people displaced internally by the abrupt resumption of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. 

 

Since the end of the conflict in May 2009, the number of Sri Lankan refugees returning home has increased. UNHCR has stepped up assistance to help them return to Sri Lanka and restart their lives in their villages. 

 

Click here to find more information on how UNHCR helps Sri Lankan refugees returning home.