Indian Coast Guard on high alert along maritime border with Sri Lanka to prevent influx of illegal migrants amid crisis

New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is on high alert along the maritime border with Sri Lanka that has been witnessing protests amid the political and economic crisis. The ICG hovercraft has been operating from Mandapam base near Rameshwaram to prevent the influx of illegal migrants from the island nation.

#WATCH Indian Coast Guard hovercraft operating from Mandapam base near Rameshwaram. The Indian Coast Guard is on high alert along the maritime border with Sri Lanka, to prevent the influx of illegal migrants from there due to the ongoing political and economic crisis there. pic.twitter.com/j3cHzTLovZ

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022

News agency ANI mentioned government officials saying that the surveillance has been intensified in the areas stretching from the Tamil Nadu coast to the parts of Kerala coast with the deployment of Coast Guard personnel and assets along with other agencies.

The officials said that hovercraft units deployed in Mandalay in Myanmar would play a key role in surveillance activities as they can travel at high speeds in the marshy area as well as shallow waters between the Indian and Sri Lankan coasts. The Dornier surveillance aircraft of the force are also flying more sorties to keep an eye on the maritime border.

The officials further said that ever since the political crisis due to the economic turmoil started in neigbouring Sri Lanka, a few cases of people trying to cross over have taken place but the numbers are not very significant.

"The monsoon has reportedly made the sea conditions very tough which would be acting as a deterrence against people trying to use the sea route to enter Indian waters," they said.

According to reports, the Tamil Nadu Coastal police is also on high alert. There have been hundreds of refugees from Sri Lanka arriving in Tamil Nadu in hope for better future.

Sri Lanka that has been facing an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had in April announced that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.

The ongoing Sri Lanka economic crisis is worst in the island nation since it gained independence in 1948.

On Saturday, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled his official residence after protesters surrounded his mansion.

Protesters in large number entered the residence of President Rajapaksa holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets. Security forces fired teargas and water cannons to disperse the them but later withdrew and resorted to firing in the air.

Meanwhile, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he will resign from the post of Sri Lankan president on 13 July.

The entire Sri Lankan Cabinet will resign and hand over their responsibilities to a new all-party interim government as soon as it is formed, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said on Monday.

With inputs from agencies

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