Bhutanese facing resettlement ‘hassle’

By.Chetan Adhikari.

The third country resettlement programme has become more of a hassle than convenience for a large number of Bhutanese refugees at Beldangi Camp in the district. Frequent delays in their resettlement process have taken its toll on those vying for resettlement.

For instance, Lok Bahadur Bhattarai, his wife and four children were all set with their bags packed to fly to Canada 13 months ago. However, due to unspecified reasons they failed to live their dream. It is the fourth time their resettlement date has been postponed. Each time they sell their belongings to prepare for their resettlement and give their shanty to others, they are compelled to start afresh.

The Bhattarai couple remains ignorant as to why the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) postponed their resettlement repeatedly. However, despite frequent delays in the resettlement programme, they are still clinging on to it with a glimmer of hope.Likewise, Tilak Bahadur Bhattrai of Shanty Number 39 at the camp in Beldangi-3, who applied for resettlement four years ago, was called for interviews many times. However, for the past one year he has neither been called for an interview nor has his process gained momentum. In a letter addressed to the camp manager’s office, Tilak has stated that the UNHCR did not contact him after his confession about his stint in the Bhutanese armed forces and his friends’ visits to the camp. His three daughters have resettled in the US while the family has been living in the camp with a young daughter.

Likewise, a family has been facing problems for the past five years due to inaccuracies in dates recorded by the UNHCR’s interviewer and one recorded by the Nepal government official regarding the time they were driven away by the Bhutanese government. The UNHCR

has made no contact with the family for the past four years following the confusion.

Meanwhile, these instances, one or the other, have been haunting many refugee families at the Beldangi camp. Only five percent of approximately 3,500 households at the camp might be free from such hassles, said Camp Secretary Sancha Hang Rai. “Looking at the number of people who come to me with oral or written complaints, I assume that there is not a single household going through such problems,” Rai said. According to refugees facing such problems, the UNHCR puts refugees, who have prior records of any complaints or criminal charges against them with police, administration and the court, in observation, thus delaying their resettlement process. Although some have submitted clarification letters, their process is yet to move forward. For instance, the resettlement process of Bhakta Tiwari, who was sentenced to jail for two years and slapped a fine of Rs 500 by the District Court in Jhapa 21 years ago, is yet to gain momentum though he was freed 19 years ago and has been vying for the resettlement programme for the past six years. “I furnished all documents sought by the UNHCR but in vain,” Tiwari said, stating that many others who faced longer imprisonment terms than him have already been resettled.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR has stated that they cannot comment about the internal process of individual refugees who are facing delays as the resettlement process is ongoing. According to Deepraj Upreti, external relations officer at the UNHCR Office in Damak, refugees vying for resettlement have to undergo a series of medical check-ups in Damak and Kathmandu even after completing the due process, which at times delays their departure. “As all refugees are subjected to medical check-ups prior to their flights, any complications observed could lead to delay,” Upreti said.

Source:ekantipur.com