The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Sri Lankan national’s plea for refuge, stating that India cannot host refugees from around the world. A bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta observed that India has a huge population of 140 crore and it cannot keep entertaining foreign nationals from across the world.
“Is India to host refugees from all over the world? We are struggling with 140 crore. This is not a dharmashala (free shelter) that we can entertain foreign nationals from all over,” said the Supreme Court.
The petitioner, a Sri Lankan Tamil, was arrested in 2015 for alleged links to the LTTE and convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In 2022, the Madras High Court slashed his term to seven years, but asked him to leave the country as soon as his sentence was over and stay in a refugee camp before his deportation.
Despite his claims of danger in Sri Lanka and family ties in India, the court ruled that his detention was lawful and Article 19 rights do not apply to foreign citizens. The court suggested the petitioner consider moving to another country, emphasizing India’s limited capacity to accommodate refugees.
The Supreme Court’s ruling comes amid the Union Government’s efforts to deport refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers nationwide. Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed state governments and union territories to form Special Task Forces to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants within 30 days, following a directive linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.