Global economic crisis likely to hit international aid to Lankan refugees: UN official

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The global economic crisis is likely to create a humanitarian crisis as UN High Commission of Refugees is facing funds crunch as donors are cutting costs, according to a top UN official in India.

Dr Montserrat Feixas Vihe, chief of mission, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told Express on Wednesday that the economic crisis may also likely to have an impact on assistance to Sri Lankan refugees.

She was speaking on the sidelines of the launching of the book Refugee Situation in India Today and a panel discussion on the changing international scenario and the refugees in South Asia.

She said the donors are not so generous following the global recession as such the UN organization may have “less and less money accountable for refugees.”

“This will affect refugees and will have a negative impact,” Montserrat said. She was non-committal on whether it is safe for refugees to return back to Sri Lanka. Parrying away queries, she said, “It is up to the refugees to decide. If they want to return we will help them,” she said diplomatically.

She also said that refugees need support but at the same time they should also go back. “If it takes too long for refugees to go back, support from donors will be less,” Montserrat said.

Echoing the concerns of refugees, she said the refugee always hope to go home, for how well they are protected in the country of asylum, they still remain outsiders.

Earlier in the panel discussion, vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University Prof Vijaykumar highlighted that none of the south Asian countries have any statute to protect refugees. While all the experts did hail India’s role in protecting refugees but some also highlighted the dark spots. Prof Bernard Sami, reader of department of history, Loyola College, said that 80 per cent of economic migrants are not covered by human rights which the receiving country should provide them. Prof V Suryanarayan, senior research fellow in Center for Asia Studies slammed the Indian policy and said the the Indian government failed to do its duty in the moment of crisis during the fourth Ealam War.

Prof Ramu Manivannan, professor and head of the department of politics and public administration spoke on the plight of Burmese refugees.