In the early 1990s tens of thousands of ethnic Nepalis were arbitrarily deprived of their Bhutanese citizenship. Some were then expelled from Bhutan, while others fled the country to escape from a campaign of arbitrary arrest and detention directed against the ethnic Nepalis. For sixteen years these Bhutanese refugees have languished in seven refugee camps in Nepal with no resolution to their plight. In October 2006, however, the United States announced its willingness to resettle up to 60,000 of the refugees. While the U.S. resettlement offer has given hope to many of the Nepali-speaking refugees, now numbering some 106,000, the lack of clear information about the resettlement offer or about the prospects for other durable solutions, namely repatriation to Bhutan or local integration in Nepal, has resulted in increasing anxiety and tensions among the refugees. Some opponents of resettlement have threatened refugees who speak out in favor of resettlement, leaving many refugees fearful of expressing their thoughts on their future.

Resettlement countries – US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and Denmark.

IOM resettlement projects in Nepal began in October 2007. All projects are estimated to continue until the end of 2012. The current annual budget for all resettlement projects is USD 12 million. Most resettlement activities take place at the IOM office in Damak, a small town in eastern Nepal in close proximity to the seven Bhutanese refugee camps; the IOM office in Kathmandu is the base of most diplomatic and administrative activities. All resettlement projects are now at full capacity. Currently, 1,500 refugees depart for resettlement on a monthly basis, and it is projected that this level of activity will continue for the next three years.

Bhutanese Refugee Camp-Beldangi-II, Jhapa, Nepal.