2021 STATELESSNESS AND THE CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT, 2019 189 In contrast, Camp-Refugees are given considerable benefits by the Central and Tamil Nadu governments. Camp-Refugees receive free medical services, food, water supply, utensils, clothing, electricity and monthly doles.225 There has been an incremental expansion in benefits over the years such as free colour TVs schemes, allowance for funeral expenses and sports equipment, issuance of driving licence among others.226 These measures indicate that Camp-Refugees enjoy a relatively decent condition of life in India despite lacking formal citizenship.227 In this way, Bentz and Goreau-Ponceaud contend that refugee status can be more beneficial than formal citizenship.228 However, taking a holistic picture of Camp-Refugees’ reveals that their lives are much more complicated. First, although government measures seem generous on paper, there are significant gaps in their implementation on the ground.229 For instance, refugee children were for long confined to camp schools because they did not have certificates to be admitted into regular ones.230 Although this situation has improved slightly for primary education, seeking higher education continues to be an arduous process for Camp-Refugees231 In several cases, Camp-Refugees’ educational qualifications are not recognised in India.232 As a result, their employment opportunities are severely restricted, and they must resort to menial jobs or self-employment like shops selling vegetables and everyday items.233 There are also numerous instances of corruption in camps, for example, in accessing the rations.234 It is difficult for poor Camp-Refugees to meet these demands for bribes. Further, living conditions in camps are grim. Poor 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 of the 2020 Indian Citizenship Amendment Act’ (Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 7 September 2020) <https://polarjournal.org/2020/09/07/the-anti-dalit-anti-adivasi-features-ofthe-2020-indian-citizenship-amendment-act/> accessed 28 July 2021. Chimni (n 5). Department of Rehabilitation Tamil Nadu Government, ‘Information Handbook under the Right to Information Act 2005’ <https://www.tn.gov.in/rti/proactive/public/handbook_rehabilitation.pdf> accessed 28 July 2021. Chimni notes that factions of the local population resent the Camp-Refugees for this ‘preferential’ treatment as in Chimni (n 5). Bentz and Goreau-Ponceaud (n 79). Irudaya Rajan and C Valatheeswaran, ‘Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India: Rehabilitation Mechanisms, Livelihood Strategies and Lasting Solutions’ [2011] 30 Refugee Survey Quarterly 24. Chimni (n 7). Vinodh Arulappan, ‘With Poor Conditions in Camps, Sri Lankan Tamils Remain Citizens of No-man’s Land’ (The Indian Express, 22 December 2019) <https://www.newindianexpress. com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/dec/22/with-poor-conditions-in-camps-sri-lankan-tamils-remaincitizens-of-no-mans-land-2079412.html> accessed 28 July 2021. Chimni (n 5); I Jothi Gandhi v Social Welfare Development Office 2014 SCC OnLine Mad 8861 wherein the petitioner was denied retirement benefits because his employer claimed that the petitioner’s Sri Lankan educational documents did not meet the requisite criteria. Chimni (n 7); Rajan and Valatheeswaran (n 229). Chowdhory (n 64).