The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has cancelled regular flights of resettling refugees to Kathmandu from Friday as it returned dozens of refugees from its Damak office this morning.
The US Government has said, the decision was taken since it is revising screening procedures. Its Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed of “temporary hold” on resettlement worldwide.
“Due to a revision of screening procedures the U.S. government has placed many cases worldwide on hold,” Nepalnews.com reported quoting the embassy officials today.
According to the Embassy, the policy applies globally and not just to “Bhutanese refugees”. However, it also mentioned that “this is not an indication of any problem with the case and we hope to resolve the holds as quickly as possible so that refugees can travel to the U.S.”
Our correspondents from camps reported that refugees were taken back immediately after they reached IOM office Damak. However, they were not informed of the clear reason about return to camps.
Escorted by Armed Police Force, those who had to return to camps looked very sad to opt such a decision at the eleventh hour as most of their huts were dismantled as soon as they left the camps early this morning.
“The camp has become panic since people fear that the resettlement has come to a complete halt,” a refugee from Beldani-II, who requested not to be named, told Bhutan News Service over telephone.
According to him, the returnees were forced to take shelter in their friends and relatives.
Meanwhile, officials of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in camps have assured resumption of ration and other facilities to the returnees through emergency measures.
This is ridiculous!
Why has it happened so?
Can’t we do any type of follow up?
I want to request to you all guys please request iom in damak or in ktm to start the process as soon as possible instead to hold this process please
ooohhhh what is this news. Sudden and surprising to read. No clue why they stop in sudden…
Vidhya dada thanks a lot for collecting and publishing the curious matter to the families waiting for reunification with rest of the family in USA from refugee camps. we appreciate your post. hope to read more about this matter from your site. thank you
Oophs! It is so sad to hear about the sudden and unexpected halt of TCR process by the United States. But as it says,” Hope sustains life” we should hope that a reasonable solution for the problem shall be sought by the concerned authorities as soon as possible.
Hem Gurung.
Nordreisa, Norway.
It is very sad and ridiculous to hear that “the returnees were forced to take shelter in their friends and relatives”.i suppose it is not fair to do so.Hope the saying “this is not an indication of any problem with the case and we hope to resolve the holds as quickly as possible”, come true in a week and hopefilly all things will get reslove.
Thank for the decission. It is too late for AGNI PARIKSHA. Agency should have done it earlier. Most of the duplicate, so called Bhutanese had alresdy enjoyed the fruit. Authority concern, to the best of my knowledge, are wise enough and commited to protect and support the the gunine Bhutanese.
dear all resettled Bhutanese.
this is my humble request to you all that the closeing of the process will bring different problem to vulnerable people.
there fore, we must have to talk about their issues from our own state.
let not feel free from camp, but let feel that we are hope of camp.
we all resettled Bhutanese should feel seriouness on this event.
There is always the good vs bad and one’s strength is other’s weakness. This news may be good for a specific section/category of people but it may be too touchy for others. Good to the ones who play on other sentiments and enjoy on the sufferings and struggles of others.
Hope this halt is just the temporary one. Hope that this won’t jeopardize the hopes and dreams of many of our fellowmen. It is said that the break is due to the revision of the procedure but anything untowanted may prevail and change in policies may plug the bud before the blooming of flower.
Let’s be little patience to know the reason before we built the glass castle.
Thanks for us governtment & other countries to resettle bhutanese in overses & give them good / bad opportunity but It is ridiculous to see this sad news of Bhutanese those who are back from Damak. It is bloody hell decission made at 11th hours & compail to live in friends and other relatives house after destroyed their huts. The us government must inform before so that they should not have mental toucher. But hope they should give clear decision and make people happy soon.
Soooooooooooo sad to hear about unexpected halt . I hope all things will get resolve as soon as possible .
I feel sorry for everyone there… specially for returnees.Hope everything will be normal again as soon as possible.
I’m surprised to hear the news about the interruption of Refugee Resettlement program. I also heard about the contamination or the illegal process of non Bhutanese have been resettling through fake identification with the collaboration of Bhutanese so called representatives and locals. It also has been a business of refugees so called representatives and other people too I don’t mean that on shouldn’t marry beyond one’s own community but it shouldn’t but it should be legitimate legal and real.
If thats the problem for the process under the pretension of pre screnning, it should be thoroughly investigated and acted upon. I believe that the people who involve in such illegal process should be brought under notice and punished and shouldn’t deprive the innocent people who have dreampt the new life in new world.
If Its really temporarily withheld, we hope it will be recontinued soon and lets do communicate and come to the point which is the best way to help to re-continue the process as far as possible.
They will be taken today ie on 18th.
Really shocking news….our hope to reunite with family members will really be shattered if its really going to happen……
sorry ,they will b taken on 19th
.
It is ridiculous ! Hope it will go on its track soon. Well,is this only to those who are resettling in the State or applies to all others settling in different countries in the days to come……….i am much more concerned with this as my sister and her family members are reaching to their destination(Aus) soon.
Don’t worry they resumed plying people to KTM and to US and other destination from Saturday morning Nepal time. I had a phone call from my dai and he told that the installed process is resumed. He further said that the returnees and the rest of the camp populace made a hue and cry over the issue, which forced UN and IOM officials to visit the camp to pacify the tensed situation in the camp.
The military and the police forces were deployed to pacify the unwarranted situation.
The people who were always talking against the resettlement should be actually barred to come for the resettlement, but not any other refugees whose part of the family are already in the third countries
Thanks
Right now all old people who have children ,relative and friend in camp started to cry .Due to this very very bad news .we all bhutanese refugee want to requiest to start this process as fast as possible
This is an fall out of recent US under secretary visit to Bhutan and Nepal, There semms to have exclusive talks with Bhutan king and has agreed to repartation process in next few months as Bhutan has regreted its decesions to send them out.Those already can also now can return back with formaliteis completed. This is indeed welcome news, the changes in Bhutanse govt has now taken place with new king in charge.
God bless US for initiating such noble job for bringing them to thier homes once lived.
Hope India will not play other dirty roles to supress Bhutan, so far Refugees issue has been the trump card for India.
The process of screening procedures is taking place because of fake identification of Bhutanese which is taking place in the camp. It is to stop illegal process of resettlement Bhutanese from outside the camp.
when i heard that types of news at that time i fell nervous and aslo havent attent in my job .its was so nesty n guilty to all of bhutaness refugee who left his or her family in neapla.
most provevely my family still reamian in neapla if this happen realy .
i doo humble requist to all the family of camp who is in still in process plz.
get the root of that problems what is happening how is happening.i think there so meny poltical condation among the neapl sarkar that is y .ok i
i request all bhutaness people who live in camp,u all requiest IOM office to do the iom process as soon as possible…..
That will be all right. Sometimes we need to have patience friends. I am wating my parent so long….U.S is doing it’s best…Let’s cross the fingers to make it done….
IOM cancels flights; ALSO IN SOUTH AFRICA I hope all things will get resolve as soon as possible .