United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said more needs to be done by the Sri Lankan government of the country of origin, to create conditions for people to feel comfortable about considering the possibility of returning from India.

In an interview with the Hindu newspaper, Mr. Guterres, who was the former Prime Minister of Portugal said, “It has to do with the living conditions, work, education, health, property and security; these are all key questions that need to be addressed for the voluntary repatriation of the people. It is very important that the government of the country of origin do everything possible to re-establish the confidence of people. And I hope it will be also possible in the near future to intensify the voluntary repatriation of the Tamils into Sri Lanka.”

“The number of people going back to Sri Lanka has decreased substantially in the recent past. We need to look into what are the obstacles and how the two governments of India and Sri Lanka, working together can improve the conditions and create opportunities for the voluntary repatriation of the people. Voluntary is the key word here,” he said.

Mr. Guterres also said that the UNHCR has been running several welfare programmes to support the people who returned and the internally displaced people of Sri Lanka. “We are already cooperating with India and ready to intensify our programme in order to offer our contribution to the successful operation of people going back to their homes whenever possible with safety and dignity.”