US ready to 'absorb' up to 60,000 Bhutanese refugees from Nepal

The United States has said it is prepared to take in up to 60,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal for more than 15 years now.

US assistant secretary of state for refugee affairs, Ellen Sauerbrey, told reporters during a conference of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva Monday, "The United States has come forward and said we are willing to resettle a very significant part of this [refugee] population."

"We think over the next three or four years that we can easily absorb 50,000 or 60,000 of the people who are now in these camps," AP quoted her as saying. She also made it known that Australia and Canada had also indicated that they would be willing to resettle some of the 106,000 estimated Bhutanese living in UNHCR-run camps in the eastern district of Jhapa and Morang.
Sauerbrey also praised Nepal for having recently given permission to UNHCR to conduct a census of the refugee camps in order to facilitate the resettlement of the refugees elsewhere, the report added.

15 rounds of ministerial level talks between Nepal and Bhutan have ended in deadlock. Bilateral negotiations remain stalled since last two years after the Bhutanese Joint Verification Team (JVT) members were allegedly mistreated by the refugees.

The US official also mentioned that Nepal had recently allowed 16 people to receive exit permits, including three young women who were sexually exploited and have since been resettled in the US.

UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Judy Cheng-Hopkins during her visit to Nepal in July this year had said she was optimistic that the Bhutanese refugee problems in Nepal would be resolved soon.

Refugee leaders had opposed her ‘positive reaction’ towards the ‘willingness’ of some of the donor countries to take in refugees in their countries as part of finding a solution the refugee impasse. nepalnews.com mk Oct 03 06 .





time to be a refugee

I agree.

good for 'em

Is it due to the failure in Nepalese diplomacy or Indian supremacy?

does it mean that it will be easier for them to get green card here??

The genuine Bhutanese must get entrance to their homeland.
Green card is some sort of support in part of US government. It will certainly break current impasse. But, It will set a wrong precedence in future.

ल दरो भयो । अब भुटान नी शरणअर्थी भनेर नक्क्ली कागज बनाउन ओइरो लाग्ने भयो । नेता हरु र सरकारी कार्यालय हरुको साखा अधिकृत हरु को पैसा कमाउने बेला आयो । लौ हेरु अब के हुन्छ.
Unless UN does this thing by them self I dont think even 50% refugees will be able to get here. Nepali sarkar ko bharosa ma chodyo bhane 1 pani bhutani saranarthi audainan sabai Neta haru ko manche auchan...Corrupt country..
Neta haru ko Lottery lagya ho yo..

that's what i was thinking,,it would not be a big surprise to see some of our leaders, actors and who knows who else as bhutanese refugees ,,if this thing gets approved,,easy way to green card

Agree with vata-ta-tajee. This is not a good opttion. This will prompt the Bhutanese government to do the same with Bhutani-Nepali who are still remaining in Bhutan.
It is OK for those who want to go to US-Europe but what about those who want to return back to Bhutan? For some people, America is much less important than the emotional attachment with the land they were born and they grew up.

Gautam jee's explanation is more clear. We should realize that our diplomacy failed.