The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday saved six refugees from Sri Lanka who had fled the island nation following the acute financial crisis there. The six refugees, all Sri Lankan nationals including three children, were stranded on the fourth island off the coast of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
The refugees, according to sources in the Coast Guard, Chennai Unit, said that they were finding it difficult to find food and other essentials in Sri Lanka and had hence escaped to India.
The refugees include a man, his wife, and a four-month-old son, and a woman and her two children aged six and twelve years.
They said that they were dropped on the fourth island off Arichalmunnai by a boatman and they said that they had paid around Rs 50,000 to the boatman for the journey. The fourth island off Arichalmunnai is under the control of the Indian Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard saved them using a hovercraft and gave them food at the Coast Guard camp and then handed over to the police who shifted them to the Mandapam Camp. The rescued persons said that there were several refugees who were ready to sail to India.