Resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal has become the largest resettlement programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to the UN body.

Over 32,000 Bhutanese refugees have left for the United States and other countries since the UNHCR launched the resettlement programme in November 2007, said UNHCR in a release on the eve of World Refugee Day.

The US alone has accepted 27,926 refugees. Refugees have settled in other countries like Australia (1,530), Canada (1,445), New Zealand (447), Denmark (326), Norway (324), and the Netherlands (178), while some 100 refugees are expected to leave for the United Kingdom soon.

“We are very proud to be the largest resettlement programme and I am very pleased to announce this on the occasion of the World Refugee Day,” said Stéphane Jaquemet, UNHCR Representative in Nepal.

“The theme for this year’s World Refugee Day is ‘Home’ and to date over 32,000 refugees from Bhutan have arrived in their new homes in resettlement countries,” he added. “This would not have been possible without the strong support and cooperation of the Government of Nepal, the resettlement countries, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and our NGO partners.”  Some refugees have been on exile in Nepal for 20 years since their eviction during Bhutan’s ethnic cleansing in the early 1990s.

In addition to third country resettlement, the UNHCR and the international community are seeking a lasting solution to the issue through various measures, including voluntary repatriation of refugees.

Over 56,000 of the total camp population have shown interest in resettlement. More than 8,000 refugees are expected to fly to resettlement countries by the end of this year.

Published on:  19 June 2010 | The Kathmandu Post