India deports Lankan women from Andra

Disna MUDALIGE

The Indian Government has taken a decision to send back Sri Lankan women in Andra Pradesh who are staying without a valid visa. This decision is effective from December 12, 2010. About 20 Sri Lankan married women are affected by this decision.

K P Punithawathy who had returned to the country from Andra Pradesh on March 2, told the Daily News that most of these Sri Lankan women are married to Indian citizens and have settled down in India for about 10 to 15 years.

She pointed out that this decision applies only to Sri Lankan women in this area.

"The husbands and children of these women are allowed to stay.

Many of these women have infants. It was announced that these women will be arrested by the Hyderabad police if they do not leave. These women have faced a number of difficulties and complain it as unfair.

Most of them had been working in the Middle East countries earlier and have got married to Indian men", she said.

An External Affair Ministry senior officer said that it is hard to intervene in this matter since this decision is taken by a foreign government regarding illegal immigrants.

According to Emigration and Immigration laws any government has the right to deport any person staying without a valid visa, she said.