Refugees from Bhutan poised for new start
The first groups of refugees from Bhutan could be resettled within months, thanks to Nepal's decision to grant them exit permits.
DAMAK, Nepal, February 1 (UNHCR) - A new lease on life is within reach for thousands of refugees from Bhutan who have been living in Nepal's camps for nearly two decades. Within months, the first groups could start their lives in other countries, thanks to a recent decision enabling them to leave for resettlement.
The breakthrough occurred in mid-January, when the Nepalese government agreed to issue exit permits to refugees accepted for group resettlement to third countries. This decision paves the way for the large-scale movement of refugees who decide voluntarily to be resettled after spending up to 17 years in Nepal's camps.
The refugees first arrived in Nepal after fleeing ethnic tensions in Bhutan in the early 1990s. There are more than 107,000 refugees living in seven camps in eastern Nepal today.
Recognizing their desperate situation, the US has said it will consider at least 60,000 refugees for resettlement and Canada has indicated it will accept up to 5,000. Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway have indicated their willingness to accept refugees from Bhutan for resettlement.
"We are very thankful to the Nepalese government for the exit permits," said Daisy Dell, the UN refugee agency's representative in Kathmandu. "Resettlement offers a way out for thousands of refugees who see no future in the camps. At the same time, we continue to advocate for voluntary repatriation for those who wish to do so."
The resettlement process is a long one. Last November, UNHCR started a mass information campaign on durable solutions throughout the camps. Since then, it has interviewed thousands of interested refugees and submitted the names of nearly 10,000 individuals to several countries.
Further interviews are being conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and officials from the resettlement countries. Once accepted, the refugees undergo extensive medical screenings and cultural orientation to prepare them for their new life abroad.
The first refugee families are scheduled to leave in March, and numbers are expected to increase by July.
In the meantime, the camps are buzzing with discussions. "Resettlement is a very hot topic now. Everyone is talking about it - in school, in the markets," said Ganga,* a 21-year-old refugee in Goldhap camp. "We are in a dilemma. Our future here is uncertain. If there are good conditions in Bhutan, we will go back. But time is not favouring us."
Ganga is the eldest of seven children. Her father died a few years ago and her mother works on tea estates outside the camp for 70 rupees (US$1.10) a day. All the children are well educated and eager to help ease the family burden.
"If there is somewhere better than here, we will go," said Ganga. "I hope we can get some skills training in tailoring or [beauty] parlour before we go to a third country. If we have the opportunity, I believe we'll do well."
The older generation, however, feels differently. "At this moment, we are not thinking about resettlement at all. We're only thinking of going back to our land in Bhutan," said Birkabahadul Gurung, 72, who heads a family of 26 refugees in Goldhap camp. "The discussion inside our family is very friendly - I make the decisions and they accept."
Tensions have increased over opposing views in the camps, with unknown groups threatening some refugees in favour of resettlement. The local authorities have boosted security by deploying 25 police officers in each camp, creating an environment where the refugees can be free to make informed decisions.
For Ganga and her family, the waiting game continues. What's a few more months of caution compared to the 17 years in exile, she seemed to say as she shrugged: "Let the others go first, then we'll see."
* Name changed for protection reasons
By Vivian Tan in Damak, Nepal
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UNHCR Global Appeal 2002 - South Asia Regional Overview
1 Dec 2001 ... joint verification of Bhutanese refugees in one of the seven camps in Nepal in March 2001. This grew out of the agreement reached at the 10th Ministerial meeting between Bhutan and Nepal in December ...... -
UNHCR Country Operations Plan 2005 - Nepal
1 Sep 2004 ... for over 104,000 Bhutanese refugees and asylum seekers living in seven camps in eastern Nepal. ... Bhutanese Refugees and Asylum Seekers: The eastern districts of Jhapa and Morang, where the ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2011 - South Asia subregional overview
1 Jun 2012 ... Some 18,100 refugees, originally from Bhutan, left Nepal for their new homes in eight different ... the Government and especially in assisting some 55,000 refugees from Bhutan who remain in the camps. ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2013 - Asia and the Pacific regional summary
1 Jun 2014 ... the resettlement programme for refugees from Bhutan has succeeded in finding new homes for 87,000 ... Thailand and Malaysia, and the remaining 30,000 camp-based refugees from Bhutan in Nepal. ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2001 - South Asia Regional Overview
1 Dec 2000 ... remained dif- ficult. To help solve the long-standing Bhutanese refugee problem in Nepal, the High Commissioner visited both Bhutan and Nepal in April/May 2000. Although agree- ment was reached ...... -
Learning for a Future: Refugee Education in Developing Countries
1 Jan 2002 ... ... of the better-resourced programmes, serving Bhutanese refugee children and young people in Nepal, ... He found that the strengths of the Bhutanese programme include positive attitudes towards education ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2012 - South Asia subregional overview
1 Jun 2013 ... resettlement programme for refugees from Bhutan in Nepal reached a major milestone, with over ... The large-scale resettlement programme for refugees from Bhutan in the country, of whom some 40,000 ...... -
Summary Record of the 613th meeting held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Wednesday, 3 October 2007, at 10 a.m
14 Apr 2009 ... situations, such as the resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and the willingness of ... RAJ PAUDYAL (Nepal), referring to the protracted situation of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal lasting ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2014 - Celebrity support
1 Jun 2015 ... UNHCR Honorary Advocate Jung Woo-sung with refugee children from Bhutan at Nepal’s Beldangi camp. ... donations, and travelling on a mission to Nepal to meet refugees from Bhutan awaiting resettlement. ......