The Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), T. Alexander, has said that the United States has not announced the cap for accepting the Bhutanese refugees from Nepal.
He said so while addressing a media briefing organized the UNHCR Nepal here in Kathmandu, Friday.
“This year the UNHCR will resettled some 15,000 Bhutanese refugees,” he said. “It is not that the US will just absorb 60,000 of them. It has not accounted the cap it will accept for resettlement.”
According to his statement, if refugees are willing, it is possible to resettle almost all. He also ruled out possibility of local integration in Nepal.
“So far no negotiation has been made in this regard with the Government of Nepal. However, we equally respect all the three options (repartition, resettlement and local integration),” Alexander told mediapersons in Kathmandu today.
He also mentioned that he was impressed with the ongoing third country resettlement, claiming his visits to two Bhutanese refugee camps and a Tibetan reception center were impressive and useful.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR has mentioned that it has been facilitating Tibetan refugees in using Nepali soil as their transit place before they take refuge in India.
As regards to repatriation, the Deputy Commissioner mentioned that the UNHCR has always wanted the Bhutanese refugees to return home with dignity and honor, and would continue to respect their (refugees’) will.
Responding to media queries, he also said that his office would very soon start Community Based Development Programs to address the mounting demands of locals of the host communities of Jhapa and Morang districts.
Having resettled 65,194 refugees in various eight resettlement countries already, the UHNCR stated that the US has absorbed 54,731 individuals.
Likewise, number of resettled exiled Bhutanese in other countries included Australia (3,476), Canada (4,663), Denmark (617), the Netherlands (324), Norway (507), New Zealand (652) and the United Kingdom (224) as of May 31.
Alexander was in Nepal since Tuesday for his four-day official visit to Nepal. While in Nepal, he also called on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bijaya Kumar Gachchadhar, and district officials of Jhapa.
