In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has urged the Union government to create a fast-track path to Indian citizenship—or at least long-term visas—for the estimated 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils who have lived in the state for decades. Roughly 40 percent of the community were born in India and have never held a Sri Lankan passport.
Stalin proposes that the Centre dispense with formal passport and Indian visa requirements for this cohort and instead rely on identity documents already verified by state authorities. He also requested district collectors be empowered to process applications locally, citing humanitarian and constitutional obligations as well as the 2025 Immigration & Foreigners (Exemption) Order that shields pre-2015 arrivals from prosecution.
![Tamil Nadu asks Delhi to waive passport and visa rules for 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees]()
For those struggling to navigate India’s often-complex residence rules, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides step-by-step guidance, document verification, and real-time status tracking, helping employers and long-term Sri Lankan Tamil residents manage visa or residence applications more efficiently while broader policy decisions are still pending.
The plea comes amid renewed debate over India’s refugee framework, which currently lacks a statutory pathway to naturalisation for most asylum seekers. Mobility specialists say any relaxation would ease compliance headaches for employers who wish to regularise longtime Sri Lankan Tamil staff but are unable to obtain work permits for them under existing rules.
New Delhi has yet to respond, but past petitions have met resistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, concerned about setting precedents that could be cited by other refugee groups. If adopted, the waiver could also influence India’s negotiations with Colombo on voluntary repatriation and cross-border labour mobility.
Stalin proposes that the Centre dispense with formal passport and Indian visa requirements for this cohort and instead rely on identity documents already verified by state authorities. He also requested district collectors be empowered to process applications locally, citing humanitarian and constitutional obligations as well as the 2025 Immigration & Foreigners (Exemption) Order that shields pre-2015 arrivals from prosecution.
For those struggling to navigate India’s often-complex residence rules, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides step-by-step guidance, document verification, and real-time status tracking, helping employers and long-term Sri Lankan Tamil residents manage visa or residence applications more efficiently while broader policy decisions are still pending.
The plea comes amid renewed debate over India’s refugee framework, which currently lacks a statutory pathway to naturalisation for most asylum seekers. Mobility specialists say any relaxation would ease compliance headaches for employers who wish to regularise longtime Sri Lankan Tamil staff but are unable to obtain work permits for them under existing rules.
New Delhi has yet to respond, but past petitions have met resistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, concerned about setting precedents that could be cited by other refugee groups. If adopted, the waiver could also influence India’s negotiations with Colombo on voluntary repatriation and cross-border labour mobility.
