Over 174 Bhutanese refugees living in Damak-based refugee camp have complained that they have been deprived of refugee identity cards by the district administration.

Though most of their family members have already been settled in the third countries, they requested the Nepal government to recognise them as refugees at the earliest. 

According to them, the government had distributed refugee cards to more than 1,800 Bhutanese living in Jhapa this year alone. Sources said, as many as 2,100 refugees had filled up the forms; out of them 132 did not turn up to collect their cards and 174 were disqualified. 

Khada Nanda Bhandari, a refugee living at Beldangi based refugee camp, said his entire family has settled in the third country. He, however, has not received the refugee identity card yet. “All my family members have been living in third countries as refugees,” he said, adding, “But the government has not recognised me as refugee yet.” Another refugee, Suresh Pradhan said, “I have authentic documents, yet I did not get the identity card.”

Published  on: 26 December 2012 | The Himalayan Times