Abstract
Purpose: After being forced to flee their respective home countries, Sri Lankan Tamils and Rohingya refugees resettled in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This study attempts to explore the extent to which the state has provided means for integration in the absence of refugee protection laws and citizenship. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach was used, including in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with participants from both refugee groups between 2019 and early 2020. A representative sample of male and female Sri Lankan Tamils, living in or outside government camps, in urban and rural areas, was included (total number = 75). Similarly, a representative sample of the Rohingya refugee community was included for this study (n = 44). Findings: Despite constraints imposed by inadequate infrastructure, the study finds that Sri Lankan Tamils and Rohingyas both show to be progressively integrated in local society and have been capable of fulfilling some important basic livelihood needs, especially with regards to education. Some areas for improvement are identified as well, most urgently in terms of health and accommodation. Practical implications: Other states in India, as well as in similar low-income countries (LICs), could learn from the current case study with regards to administering workable policies for small groups of refugees. Originality/value: With minimal state facilitation and within the context of limited legal backing, refugee groups have somewhat managed to re-built their lives. This study identifies the threshold of requirements that make this achievement possible and suggests what more could be done to further advance the current state.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 778-792 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 31 Jan 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Jun 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Funding
Declarations: This paper is the original work of the authors and has not been published or submitted for publication. All authors have contributed significantly and have been involved at each stage of the research from the formulation of concept, the setting of the research agenda, interpretation of data, analysis and the writing and re-writing of the manuscript. All authors have approved the final draft and agreed with the content of the manuscript. The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work, and questions related to the accuracy/integrity of the work will be addressed to the satisfaction of the publisher. The authors seek to build a better future for the marginalized and vulnerable people in society, and this affirmative action can sometime be seen as a conflict of interest. All human studies have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and reviewed and approved by an external ethics committee of the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, Chennai. No external funding was sought for the study. The authors would like to acknowledge all the participants in this study for providing their valuable time and engagement in this study.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, Chennai |
Keywords
- India
- Integration
- Myanmar
- Refugees
- Rohingyas
- Sri Lanka
- Tamils
