Number of Bhutanese resettled from Nepal tops 20,000, UN says

Over 20,000 refugees from Bhutan have left Nepal to embark on fresh lives in third countries as part of one of the largest resettlement schemes of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The 20,000th refugee was eight-year-old Sita Budhathoki, who left Nepal yesterday with her parents and siblings for Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States, agency spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva today.

The US has taken in the lion’s share of Bhutanese refugees, with over 17,000 resettled in the North American nation to date. They have also moved to countries such as Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Denmark.

The programme to resettle refugees – who had fled ethnic tensions in Bhutan in the early 1990s – in seven camps in eastern Nepal kicked off in November 2007.

“More than 78,000 refugees have expressed an interest in resettlement so far and a further 5,000 are expected to leave Nepal for third countries by the end of the year,” Mr. Mahecic said.

UNHCR provides refugees in Nepalese camps about resettlement and other options to allow them to make informed decisions about their future through information sessions, focus groups and individual counseling.

They are also offered English language classes, along with vocational and skills training, to prepare for their new lives.

“Alongside the international community, UNHCR continues to advocate for the option of voluntary return to Bhutan for those refugees who wish to do so,” the spokesperson said, adding that over 90,000 Bhutanese refugees remain in exile in Nepal.