The United Nations agency for refugees today warned Sri Lankans trying to escape violence at home against risking a 'dangerous sea crossing' to seek shelter in India.

Coverage: Civil War in Sri Lanka

Expressing concern over the recent drowning of 10 Sri Lankan refugees traveling by boat to India, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said, "Many refugees fleeing localized violence are being put at great risk by unscrupulous traffickers who operate un-seaworthy and overcrowded vessels."

The agency also warned that refugees were falling victim to sexual abuse. Vulnerable passengers such as women, children and the elderly may be subjected to additional hardship en route such as sexual and gender-based violence, and a greater susceptibility to adverse weather conditions, the UNHCR said.

"While everyone has an inalienable right to claim asylum, UNHCR urges those planning on making the perilous journey to Tamil Nadu, to carefully consider the serious dangers they may face," UNHCR chief in Colombo, Amin Awad, said in a statement.

The drowning on May 19 was the latest in a series of incidents involving Sri Lankan refugees traveling to India, which includes abandonment at sea, capsized vessels, and previous fatalities.

More than 300,000 refugees, who were internally displaced, had gone back to their homes in Sri Lanka's [Images] embattled regions following the truce arranged by Norway in 2002. However, violence escalated since December and at least 600 people, more than half of them civilians, have been killed in violence in the past six months.

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