About 58,000 Sri Lankan Tamils live in Tamil Nadu’s rehabilitation camps, the state says. The Public (Rehabilitation) Department’s 2024-25 policy note counted 19,525 families, or 58,015 people, in 105 camps across 29 districts as of 30 November 2023. One of the oldest is at Gummidipoondi, on Chennai’s northern edge.
Most residents fled the civil war in Sri Lanka, and many children in the camps were born in India. They get monthly cash, free rice, new houses and education support from the state, but they still have no route to Indian citizenship. This explainer covers the history, the current schemes and the citizenship debate as each side describes it.
How the camps came about
The policy note says 3,04,269 Sri Lankan Tamils have arrived in Tamil Nadu since 1983, driven by ethnic riots and the war. Many returned or moved on; those who stayed were settled in camps run by the state. A smaller wave arrived during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis: 310 people had reached the state by 1 May 2024 and were housed at Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district.
On 28 August 2021 the Chief Minister told the Assembly that “refugee camps” would be renamed “Sri Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation Camps”, according to the department’s 2023-24 policy note. The camps are managed by the Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils at Chepauk. Separately, two special camps at Tiruchirappalli and Ramanathapuram hold people with pending legal cases.
The camp near Chennai
Gummidipoondi, on the northern edge of the Chennai region in Tiruvallur district, has housed Sri Lankan Tamils for decades. When the then Union Minister of State for Home visited in 2015, The News Minute described it as one of the oldest camps near Chennai, with at least 2,000 families. The state’s policy notes do not give camp-by-camp figures, so we could not confirm a current number for Gummidipoondi or other camps in Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts.
What the state provides
The commissionerate’s scheme page and the policy notes list the main benefits:
| Benefit | Amount or scale |
|---|---|
| Monthly cash dole (from 1 September 2021) | ₹1,500 head of family, ₹1,000 other members 12 and over, ₹500 children under 12 |
| Free rice | 12 kg per adult and 6 kg per child under eight |
| Social security pension | ₹1,000 a month |
| College aid | ₹10,000 diploma, ₹12,000 arts and science degree, ₹20,000 professional degree; full costs for top engineering and PG students |
| Maternity support | ₹18,000 plus nutrition kits for the first two children |
| Funeral assistance | ₹5,000, or ₹50,000 in extraordinary circumstances |
The biggest programme is housing. The state has planned 7,469 new houses in two phases to replace old camp shelters. The commissionerate says all 3,510 first-phase houses have been inaugurated, and that of 3,959 second-phase houses, 236 had been handed over, 1,130 completed and 2,593 were still under construction. About 14,268 camp students received free education, uniforms, meals, books and bus passes in 2024-25, and 14,723 women heads of household were receiving the state’s monthly assistance for women.
The citizenship question
Camp residents are not Indian citizens, and that shapes everything from jobs to travel. Positions differ:
- The Union government. On 2 September 2025 the Home Ministry issued an exemption order under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. It shields registered Sri Lankan Tamils who sheltered in India up to 9 January 2015 from prosecution for lacking passports or visas. A senior official told reporters that Sri Lankan Tamils were not eligible for long-term visas, a usual step towards citizenship, Tamil Guardian reported.
- The previous state government. In February 2026, then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to the Prime Minister about roughly 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils in the state, saying nearly 40% were born in India. He asked for old instructions barring citizenship applications to be withdrawn and for powers to be delegated to districts, Ada Derana reported. The letter said only 11 Sri Lankan refugees had been granted Indian citizenship.
- Sri Lanka. In March 2026 Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister Bimal Rathnayake said his country was ready to welcome back refugees in Tamil Nadu, the Daily Mirror reported.
We found no new policy statement on citizenship from the TVK-led state government since May 2026. Returning to Sri Lanka is voluntary, and families weighing it should seek advice from the commissionerate and a lawyer.
Contacts
The Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils is at Ezhilagam Annex, Chepauk, Chennai 600 005. Its listed landlines are 044-28525648 and 044-28520059, and refugee relief queries can go to rehabsl2013@gmail.com. Camp residents usually apply for schemes through the camp’s revenue officials and the district Collectorate.
Quick answers
How many Sri Lankan Tamil camps are there in Tamil Nadu?
The 2024-25 policy note listed 105 camps in 29 districts, housing 58,015 people as of 30 November 2023.
How much cash do camp residents get?
₹1,500 a month for the head of family, ₹1,000 for other members aged 12 and over, and ₹500 for younger children.
Can camp residents become Indian citizens?
Not under current practice. A 2025 central order protects pre-2015 registered refugees from prosecution but does not open a citizenship route.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Policy Note 2024-25, Public (Rehabilitation) Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Policy Note 2023-24, Public (Rehabilitation) Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Welfare measures for Sri Lankan Tamils in Tamil Nadu camps (Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils)
- India exempts Eelam Tamil refugees from prosecution, but blocks path to citizenship (Tamil Guardian, September 2025)
- Tamil Nadu CM urges PM Modi to solve citizenship issues of 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils (Ada Derana, 16 February 2026)
- Home Minister Rijiju visits Sri Lankan refugee camp near Chennai (The News Minute, March 2015)
- Sri Lanka ready to welcome and support refugees from India: Minister Bimal Rathnayake (Daily Mirror, 20 March 2026)
