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.
![](/thumb1/47a30dc82.jpg)
Refugees in Goldhap camp in eastern Nepal are divided over resettlement. Many young people prefer to start afresh in a new country while the older generation wants to repatriate to Bhutan. © UNHCR/V.Tan
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
Related news and stories
Nepal becomes first country in Asia Pacific to vaccinate refugees against COVID-19
Hardships multiply for older refugees amid COVID-19 pandemic
A year after Nepal quake, villagers rebuild from the ruins
UNHCR and World Taekwondo Federation partner on training in camps
UNHCR calls for safer alternatives to deadly Bay of Bengal voyages
Resettlement of Bhutanese refugees surpasses 100,000 mark
Your search for « bhutan » matched 978 results. Displaying page 17 of 109 pages.
-
Statement from Nepal
18 Dec 2019 ... Our country has provided, on a humanitarian ground, shelter to almost 120,000 Bhutanese refugees ... Since 2007, some 113,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled. Nearly 7,000 Bhutanese refugees ...... -
UNHCR Activities Financed by Voluntary Funds: Report for 1993-1994 and Proposed Programmes and Budget for 1995: Part II. Asia and Oceania. Section 8 - Nepal
17 Aug 1994 ... camps in the eastern districts of Jhapa and Morang, housing some 85,000 ethnic Nepalis from Bhutan. ... and Nepal in June 1993 was a decisive factor in limiting the inflow of asylum seekers from Bhutan. ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2014-2015 - Providing for essential needs
1 Dec 2013 ... 38 UNHCR GLOBAL APPEAL 2014-2015 Refugee children from Bhutan in Beldangi camp, eastern Nepal. 39 U NHCR GLOBAL APPEAL 2014-2015 W hat are the most pressing needs of someone who has fled from home ...... -
Public Health Missions 2007
18 Jun 2008 ... Location: Nepal (Damak) Summary: The SRPHO made an assessment of the health services in the Bhutanese refugee camps Main findings: Infrastructures poor maintenance limits quality of care, in ...... -
Building Livelihoods: A Field Manual for Practioners in Humanitarian Settings
May 2009 ... Front cover: A Bhutanese refugee woman sells vegetables to other refugees in the camp in Nepal, ... CASE STUDY Bhutanese Refugees Produce Items for In-Camp Distribution in Nepal 9 In Bhutanese refugee ...... -
Summary Record of the 633rd meeting held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Wednesday, 30 September 2009, at 3 p.m.
12 Oct 2009 ... p.m. GENERAL DEBATE (continued) 1. Mr. DORJI (Bhutan), speaking in exercise of the right of reply, ... of both countries had agreed, in writing, that not all those living in the camps were Bhutanese. ...... -
ATCR/WGR Newsletter No 9
Jul 2013 ... resettlement in 2013: the winding down of Bhutanese resettlement movement out of Nepal; the ... of Syria: A life of fear and displacement 8 Bhutanese resettlement referrals from Nepal reach ...... -
National Activity Plan 2006: Nepal
20 Jun 2006 ... A football and volleyball competition will be organised in all the seven Bhutanese refugee camps. ... A talk on "Need for early solution for the Bhutanese refugee issue" to be organized by the Students' ...... -
UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2014
15 Jul 2013 ... ... The main beneficiaries were refugees from Myanmar (some 22,100), Iraq (10,800), Bhutan (9,900), ... The resettlement of refugees from Bhutan, one of the most protracted refugee situations in Asia, ......