In a strongly-worded letter sent on 15 February to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin urged the Centre to scrap passport and visa requirements altogether for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have lived in the state for decades. Roughly 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils reside in 104 government-run camps and urban settlements; about 40 % were born in India and have never visited Sri Lanka.
Stalin asked that district collectors be empowered to grant citizenship or, at minimum, long-term visas on the basis of identity documents already verified by the state. He also sought clarity on a December 2025 Ministry of Home Affairs order exempting certain Sri Lankan Tamils from penalties under the Foreigners Act, saying local police continue to treat them as ‘illegal migrants’.
![Tamil Nadu seeks passport-and-visa waiver for 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils in long-term limbo]()
If accepted, the proposal would remove the single biggest administrative hurdle that has prevented these residents from working in the formal economy, opening bank accounts and accessing welfare schemes. Multinationals with manufacturing bases in Tamil Nadu say regularisation would enlarge the legal workforce and ease compliance audits, while NGOs argue it would finally allow camp-born children to obtain Aadhaar numbers and university admissions.
For anyone needing help deciphering India’s shifting entry rules—whether Sri Lankan refugees or global business travellers—VisaHQ offers step-by-step guidance, real-time application tracking and document-checking services through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), making the path to compliant travel or residency paperwork considerably smoother.
Immigration lawyers note that the Constitution gives Parliament exclusive power over citizenship, so any blanket waiver will require central legislation or a special notification under the 2025 Immigration & Foreigners (Exemption) Order. The Home Ministry has not yet responded publicly, but officials privately acknowledge the long-running humanitarian dimension and the political pressure in an election year.
Stalin asked that district collectors be empowered to grant citizenship or, at minimum, long-term visas on the basis of identity documents already verified by the state. He also sought clarity on a December 2025 Ministry of Home Affairs order exempting certain Sri Lankan Tamils from penalties under the Foreigners Act, saying local police continue to treat them as ‘illegal migrants’.
If accepted, the proposal would remove the single biggest administrative hurdle that has prevented these residents from working in the formal economy, opening bank accounts and accessing welfare schemes. Multinationals with manufacturing bases in Tamil Nadu say regularisation would enlarge the legal workforce and ease compliance audits, while NGOs argue it would finally allow camp-born children to obtain Aadhaar numbers and university admissions.
For anyone needing help deciphering India’s shifting entry rules—whether Sri Lankan refugees or global business travellers—VisaHQ offers step-by-step guidance, real-time application tracking and document-checking services through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), making the path to compliant travel or residency paperwork considerably smoother.
Immigration lawyers note that the Constitution gives Parliament exclusive power over citizenship, so any blanket waiver will require central legislation or a special notification under the 2025 Immigration & Foreigners (Exemption) Order. The Home Ministry has not yet responded publicly, but officials privately acknowledge the long-running humanitarian dimension and the political pressure in an election year.
