The government of Canada has agreed to allow more Bhutanese refugees to resettle in the North American country, a year after it stopped the process.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees today informed refugees based in Jhapa and Morang about the decision. However, the number of refugees to be accepted is not clear.

As per the decision, Canada is set to complete the new intake in 2012 itself, for which a Canadian mission is to arrive by October this year.

The Canadian government had stopped accepting refugees in 2011 after it accepted 5,000 of them –– the number it had agreed to accept under the third-country resettlement process.

With the start of refugee resettlement in 2008, USA, the UK, Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway have been part of the process, besides Canada.

Till April 15 this year, 62,673 refugees had been resettled in various third countries. USA alone has announced it will accept 60,000 refugees. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is now involved in the resettlement process.

The refugees were elated to learn of the Canadian government’s decision. “Our family was divided, but with the recent decision of the Canadian government, we are glad that we can soon join our family members there,” said Bal Bahadur Gurung of Sector C-2 at Damak-based Beldangi Camp.

Bal Bahadur’s brother Dilip, sister in law Kalpana and nephew and nieces are all in Canada. “Our application was refused after the quota was finished,” he said.

Published on: 4 May 2012 | The Himalayan Times