Chennai: In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, chief minister M K Stalin requested Union govt to waive passport and visa requirements for the purpose of granting citizenship or long-term visa to Lankan Tamils living in India. Instead, Union govt can consider the applications based on verified identity documentation issued by Tamil Nadu govt, wherever appropriate, he said. Stalin said appropriate powers to designated district-level authorities should be granted for a streamlined processing.Pointing out that nearly 89,000 Lankan Tamils continue to reside in TN, he said the Lankan Tamil refugee issue was one of “profound humanitarian, constitutional and national importance.” ‘Many of them lived in India for more than 30 years and nearly 40% were born in India, he said. Stalin also sought clarification on an order issued by ministry of home affairs in Sept 2025 that said Lankan Tamils who took shelter in India before Jan 9, 2015 would be exempt from penal provisions. He requested Union govt to issue a formal clarification that they shall not be treated as “illegal migrants”. “They have lived in India with dignity, discipline, and deep cultural affinity for more than four decades,” he said. A large number of them remain in a state of prolonged legal uncertainty without access to citizenship or long-term visas, he said. To address this issue, TN govt had constituted an advisory panel. The panel found that several categories of Lankan Tamils were eligible for regularisation under existing legal provisions, including those born in India before June 30, 1987, those born to one Indian parent; spouses of Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin with documentary proof, he said. Citing the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, Stalin said there was scope for a ‘more humanitarian approach’.
