Returning Home: A Comparative Analysis of the Experiences of Sri Lankan First- and Second-Generation Refugee Returnees from India

Since the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lankan refugees in India have begun to return home slowly. This article examines the reintegration experiences of first-generation returnees vis-à-vis second-generation returnees who were either born in India or were small children at the time of migration and thus have limited memory of their lives in Sri Lanka before migration. Particular attention is given to challenges encountered, coping mechanisms adapted to overcome these challenges and returnees’ perceptions of their own return decision in hindsight. Using 13 in-depth case studies in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, we found that while the reintegration of first-generation returnees has been relatively uneventful, second-generation returnees, particularly those with Indian higher educational qualifications, faced a cluster of challenges upon their return involving financial, social, and bureaucratic aspects. Their coping mechanisms include accepting jobs beneath their qualifications, remigration to India, and maintaining strong bonds with fellow returnees and friends still in India. While challenges faced upon returning to Sri Lanka have led some returnees, particularly the young, to doubt their decision to return, others are content with their decision as they feel they have better rights in Sri Lanka.