As a result of the economic crisis 16 Sri Lankan Tamils arrive in India

For decades, groups of Sri Lankan Tamils have flocked to Tamil Nadu to escape the island's wars and violence.

However, the 16 Sri Lankan Tamils that came in two batches on the Rameswaram coast on March 22 were not the same. 

They were economic migrants attempting to flee a dreadful situation in Sri Lanka, which is wracked by a severe economic crisis.

As unemployment and spiralling inflation drive more and more people to desperation in the coming days and weeks, Indian intelligence agencies anticipate the number of refugees will only rise. 

Due to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, critical goods such as milk, food, gasoline, and diesel are in short supply.

As a result, the number of Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu is anticipated to rise day by day.

On March 22, six Sri Lankan Tamils and a newborn arrived in Dhanushkodi from Mannar, Sri Lanka.

Ten additional migrants from Sri Lanka's Vavuniya landed in Tamil Nadu at the end of March 22 after being rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and supplied with safety and food. 

Tamil Nadu's people and political parties have a long history of embracing Sri Lankan immigrants with comparable ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In the 1970s and 1980s, India trained and armed Tamil insurgents, and the sea crossing posed no significant threat to illegal Sri Lankan immigration.

After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in 1991, the situation altered dramatically. 

According to police sources, security along the coastline has been ramped up as more refugees are expected to arrive in Tamil Nadu in the coming days as a result of the situation.

A special caution has also been issued to fishermen, instructing them to quickly notify coast guards if they see any illegal migrants moving in the Bay of Bengal. 

(With inputs from agencies)