The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous) in Chennai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote self-reliance and inclusion of refugees in India. The agreement was signed in Chennai in mid-August 2026, with the college’s Department of Social Work as the nodal department for joint activities. It builds on the existing SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum and focuses especially on Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu.
What Does the New MoU Envisage?
The MoU aims to strengthen collaboration on education, research and community engagement to help refugees become self-reliant and better included in local society. The partners will jointly design fieldwork, internships, outreach and empowerment programmes that connect refugee communities with academic resources and industry support.
Under the agreement, the Department of Social Work at Ethiraj College for Women will serve as the nodal department to coordinate and implement activities. The MoU was signed by P. Ganapathi, former president of SICCI, V. M. Muralidharan, Chairman of Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous), and Dr. S. Uma Gowrie, Principal and Secretary of the college, in the presence of Satchithananda Valan Michael, Head of the UNHCR Field Office in Chennai. The signing was followed by screening of the documentary short “Faceless People” on Sri Lankan refugee experiences and an interaction with students.
The collaboration brings together three complementary strengths. UNHCR contributes technical expertise on refugee protection and community ties, the SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum provides industry linkages and livelihood networks, and Ethiraj College offers academic infrastructure, faculty and student volunteers. The stated goal is to create pathways to education and vocational training while addressing barriers that prevent refugees from achieving economic independence and local integration.
The Three Partners and Their Roles
UNHCR: Mandate and Presence in India
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the UN agency mandated to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees and to seek permanent solutions for their problems. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1950 and became a permanent agency in 2003 after several mandate renewals. Its global headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. The current UN High Commissioner for Refugees is Filippo Grandi.
In India, UNHCR has been allowed to operate since 1981, even though India has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. The main office in India is at B-2/16, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, with a field office at Besant Nagar, Chennai. The Chennai office, opened in 1992, was initially set up to facilitate voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees. UNHCR in India is headed by the Chief of Mission in India and Maldives, currently Areti Sianni, while the Chennai field office is led by Satchithananda Valan Michael. UNHCR works with the Government of India, NGOs and community groups, focusing on registration, refugee status determination for non-neighbouring country refugees, protection, and promoting self-reliance. Since 2002, more than 17,900 Sri Lankan refugees have voluntarily returned home with UNHCR assistance.
SICCI and the SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum
The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) is one of India’s oldest regional business chambers. It was founded on 9 October 1909 at Ramakoti Buildings, then headquarters of Indian Bank, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi Movement. The first president was Sir P. Theagaraya Chetty. SICCI is a founder member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and is headquartered at Indian Chamber Buildings, Esplanade, Chennai. It is registered as a company limited by guarantee with the Registrar of Companies, Chennai.
SICCI coordinated with UNHCR and the Government of Tamil Nadu to launch the SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum on 4 April 2025 to enhance quality of life and self-reliance for Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. The Forum brings together government, industry, academia and civil society to coordinate training, employment and entrepreneurship support. Its objectives include supporting Tamil Nadu’s priority of transitioning refugee camps into community settlements and fostering sustainable livelihoods. Within a year, the Forum launched five livelihood projects, mobilised more than ₹53 lakh for inclusion initiatives, and created programmes on entrepreneurship, digital empowerment and financial literacy.
One flagship initiative is Adisil, a refugee-led restaurant run by 15 camp residents, located at the Ripon Building premises of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The Forum also works on mapping refugee skills to industry demand, capacity building, needs assessments and awareness programmes, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of Leaving No One Behind (LNOB).
Ethiraj College for Women: Academic Anchor
Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous) is a premier arts and science college for women in Chennai, affiliated to the University of Madras. It was founded by barrister V. L. Ethiraj (1890 to 1960), who was the first Indian to be appointed Crown Prosecutor by the British and later President of the Madras Bar Association. Ethiraj donated ₹10 lakh in 1944 and two bungalows to establish the college, which opened on 2 July 1948 at Hobart School premises in Royapettah before moving to 70, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore, Chennai. The founder’s motto for the college was that education is a leveller in society, and the college motto is “To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.”
The college is managed by the Ethiraj College Trust and is autonomous. The current Chairman is V. M. Muralidharan and Principal and Secretary is Dr. S. Uma Gowrie. With more than seven decades of experience in women’s education, the college provides academic infrastructure and student engagement that the MoU seeks to channel toward fieldwork, internships and community-based research with refugee communities.
Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu: A Decades-Old Story
How the Displacement Began
Sri Lankan Tamil refugees began arriving in Tamil Nadu in four waves between 1983 and 2012, fleeing ethnic conflict and the civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Separated from northern Sri Lanka by the narrow Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu became the natural refuge due to linguistic and cultural proximity. Between July 1983 and August 2012, about 3,03,269 Sri Lankan refugees entered India and were provided relief assistance, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Major reception happens at Mandapam transit camp in Ramanathapuram district, after which refugees are allocated to camps across districts.
Current Numbers and Living Conditions
Tamil Nadu hosts the majority of Sri Lankan refugees in India. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs Annual Report 2023-24 and updates until mid-2025, there are about 57,000 to 58,600 refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu (with 103 to 108 camps across 26 to 29 districts) and 1 camp in Odisha with 19 refugees, plus about 32,000 to 34,000 refugees living outside camps and registered with state authorities. In total, India shelters roughly 90,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, besides about 95,000 Tibetan refugees and UNHCR-mandated refugees from Myanmar and Afghanistan living largely in urban areas.
In camps, each family receives monthly cash assistance (about ₹1,000 for the head of family, ₹750 for spouse and ₹400 for others, with an additional ₹1,000 for those over 65, widows and destitutes), subsidised ration rice, sugar and wheat, clothing, utensils, medical aid and free education till higher secondary level. Tamil Nadu is also converting camps into concrete housing units to improve living standards. Nearly 95% of refugees have Aadhaar cards and 78% have bank accounts, yet only 1% hold Sri Lankan passports and 3% hold Sri Lankan national ID cards, reflecting their prolonged stateless-like situation.
About 40% of the refugee population is in the 18 to 40 age group, but only 31% are employed. Around 2,000 young people complete higher education from rehabilitation camps each year, highlighting both aspiration and the need for livelihood linkages.
Challenges in Employment and Inclusion
Despite education support, refugees face a clear employability gap. Speakers at the World Refugee Day 2026 event in Chennai noted that only 1% of educated refugees find jobs matching their qualifications, largely due to the stigma attached to the “refugee” label and practical barriers in accessing formal employment. Many youth conceal their identity to avoid judgement.
Legal constraints add to the problem. Under the Foreigners Act, 1946, refugees are treated as foreigners, and without a national refugee law, policy towards them has been ad hoc. Refugees cannot easily buy land, and access to credit, formal sector jobs and professional licences remains limited. A 2014 survey by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Danish Refugee Council found that 68% of camp refugees preferred local integration in India, with 65% of women-headed households and 78% of non-camp refugees preferring to stay.
The MoU in Chennai directly responds to this reality. By linking a women’s college and a business chamber, it tries to address the most vulnerable segment, young refugee women, who often drop out early and face the highest barriers to continuing education and skilled work.
India’s Refugee Framework and the Push for Self-Reliance
No Dedicated National Refugee Law
India has a long tradition of hosting refugees, including Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils, and smaller groups from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Somalia and other countries, but it has no national refugee protection law. India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol, the 1954 Convention on Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on Reduction of Statelessness. As a result, refugees are governed by the Foreigners Act, 1946 and later immigration laws, with assistance provided on an administrative and humanitarian basis.
Broadly, two categories exist. Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees are directly assisted by the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu (through the Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils), while UNHCR-mandated refugees (about 44,900 from Myanmar, Afghanistan and others registered in Delhi) are protected under UNHCR’s mandate. Recent administrative relief under the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, exempts registered Sri Lankan Tamils who entered India on or before 9 January 2015 from penal action for lacking passports or visas, but it does not grant citizenship or formal refugee status.
India, however, affirmed the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) adopted on 17 December 2018 and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), both of which emphasise responsibility sharing and self-reliance of displaced people.
What Self-Reliance Means
For UNHCR, self-reliance means the ability of refugees to meet their own needs, access rights and services, and contribute to host communities without exclusive dependence on aid. It rests on protection, education, skills, employment and entrepreneurship, not just relief. The SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum reflects this shift from cash and ration support toward market-linked skills, digital and financial literacy, and business mentorship.
This approach aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the principle of Leaving No One Behind (LNOB). Tamil Nadu’s own strategy also moves from maintaining rehabilitation camps to building community settlements with better housing, schooling and livelihood linkages.
Why This Model Matters and What Lies Ahead
The Chennai MoU matters because it creates a replicable tripartite model that connects a humanitarian agency, private sector and academia at the city level. Instead of working in silos, the three partners pool distinct resources: protection know-how, job creation capacity and student energy for field research and mentoring.
For refugees, the expected benefits are tangible. Access to college campuses can open doors to higher education, internships and industry mentoring, while SICCI’s network can help translate training into placements and entrepreneurship. For Tamil Nadu, which hosts 103 camps across 29 districts and is already a laboratory for refugee inclusion, the model strengthens the transition from relief to productivity. Nationally, it shows how city-based partnerships can complement central and state assistance without waiting for a comprehensive refugee law.
The SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum Annual Report 2026, released on World Refugee Day 2026 at Victoria Public Hall, Chennai, under the theme “United for a Better Tomorrow: Partnerships for Solutions”, marked one year of the Forum. The next phase, as announced at the 3rd Governing Council Meeting in May 2026, plans to scale proven models like Adisil, expand the Foodpreneurs Network, strengthen digital and market-linked skill development, build partnerships with CSR, industry and government, and establish a regional chapter in Coimbatore. Proposed pipelines include initiatives named Voice and Vision, Green Roots, GuideLight and Resilient Futures, focusing on youth skilling, green entrepreneurship and community integration.
If implemented well, the Ethiraj College partnership could provide scholarships, reserved seats, skill modules or all three, with details to be announced through UNHCR India and college channels. Success will be measured not just by MoUs signed but by employment rates, income levels and social inclusion of camp residents, especially women. For now, the agreement marks a concrete step from sympathy to structure, using education and business linkages to help long-term refugees live with dignity and contribute to the local economy.
Key Takeaways
- UNHCR, SICCI and Ethiraj College for Women (Chennai) signed an MoU in August 2026 to promote self-reliance and inclusion of refugees through education, research and community engagement.
- The Department of Social Work of Ethiraj College for Women, founded in 1948 by V. L. Ethiraj and affiliated to University of Madras, will be the nodal department for implementation.
- The MoU builds on the SICCI-UNHCR Partnership Forum launched on 4 April 2025, which works with the Government of Tamil Nadu to support Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the state.
- Tamil Nadu hosts about 57,000 to 58,600 refugees in 103 to 108 camps and about 32,000 to 34,000 outside camps, out of roughly 3,03,269 Sri Lankan refugees who entered India between 1983 and 2012.
- UNHCR was established in December 1950, headquartered in Geneva, became permanent in 2003, and has operated in India since 1981 from offices in New Delhi and Chennai (Besant Nagar, since 1992).
- SICCI, founded on 9 October 1909 and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, is a founder member of FICCI and in one year of the Forum helped launch five livelihood projects including Adisil refugee-run restaurant at Ripon Building, Chennai and mobilised over ₹53 lakh.
