20,000 Bhutanese resettle in third countries

KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Over 20,000 Bhutanese refugees have left for third country settlement from various camps in eastern Nepal since the resettlement process began in November, 2007.



According to a press statement issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday, the United States has accepted 17,612 Bhutanese refugees for resettlement, the largest number among the host countries. Most of them have resettled in Texas, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and California states.



Likewise, 846 refugees have departed for Australia, 674 for Canada, and 299 for Norway so far. The number of refugees choosing third country settlement in New Zealand is 294 while those choosing Denmark and the Netherlands are 172 and 122 respectively.



“We are grateful to the resettlement countries for generously giving a chance to the refugees to start their lives afresh in a new country,” the statement quotes Diane Goodman, UNHCR Acting Representative in Nepal, as saying.



According to Sarat Dash, the IOM Chief of Mission in Nepal, they expect over 25,000 more refugees to depart Nepal by the end of 2009.



Currently, there are some 91,000 refugees from Bhutan who have been living in the seven camps in eastern Nepal since 1990. Over 78,000 refugees have so far expressed interest in resettlement in third countries.

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80,000 Bhutanese refugees resettle in third countries