Options for refugees

Source: The Kathmandu Post

By Vidhyapati Mishra

When bilateral approaches in resolving Bhutanese refugee crisis failed, a group of countries came forward with the Third Country Resettlement Plan (TCRP). The United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway represent the core-group headed by the United States. These countries vow that the resettlement offer is totally a voluntary and humanitarian.

A press statement issued by the US Embassy on January 16 highlighted that each refugee is entitled to make his or her own choice, in an atmosphere free from threats and intimidation. This shows that the third country resettlement plan is voluntary. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Ellen R Sauerbrey during her visit to refugee camps last November made similar comments at UNHCR-administered Goldhap and Beldangi-I camps. In her speech, she stressed that the TCRP was 'voluntary' and no one could force individual refugee to adopt it.

During Sauerbrey visit to Goldhap camp, a few interesting things happened. She delivered her speech to refugees gathered there and left the stage telling representatives from the UNHCR, International Organization for Migration and the United States would answer all queries related to the TCRP. During the question-answer session, the scene was quite funny. Refugees raised several questions to quench their curiosity but answers given by the delegates made refugees crake jokes out of them. The situation pointed that refugees lack enough information on the TCRP. They have several questions and want the authority concerned to clarify them.

Rumors on TCRP
It is not that all refugees understand what delegates of UNHCR or core-group communicate. There are elderly who regard that the TCRP to the US or elsewhere is like a human going to the Moon from the Earth. Youth have some reliable information but they want more specifically based on health, education and employment in the host country. In this regard, information provided to the general mass is insufficient. Even means of information on the TCRP is inaccessible to everyone at the camp.

The elderly and illiterate refugees raise several questions to literate ones or refugees staying outside the camps. What can they expect from those who also lack detail information on this issue? The responses to such questions have made them more confused when answers differ from one person to another. When these sorts of details are passed to a third person, many things go added or subtracted. Finally, it becomes a source of confusion and rumor.

Country selection
The refugees are not informed on what basis a family or individual refugee is chosen. When country selection is granted to refugees, there are questions on voluntary resettlement. The questions refugees have on the TCRP are related to the host countries. Therefore, refugees anticipate clarifications from agents of concerned country but not probably from the staff of UNHCR or of International Organization of Migration.

Refugees attending interviews are also confused. Some are called to the UNHCR and others to International Organization of Migration, Norway or Australia desks. Different agents interview even refugees having same case or condition of vulnerability. Interviewees, who come to the UNHCR or International organization of Migration, raise several questions on the TCRP. However, several interviewees are simply told that a particular host country taking them will answer their questions.

If qualified for resettling country's interview, refugees will probably raise questions but when conditions are unsatisfactory, there is a chance of withdrawing applications. Nevertheless, UNHCR's booklet on the TCRP clearly states that applicants withdrawing their processing are not granted the TCRP in the future. This is more complex as it creates fear on voluntary processing for the resettlement plan.

Employment opportunities
Sauerbrey informed refugees that selection of refugees wishing to adopt the TCRP in the US is not determined by age, sex, skill or education of individual refugee. However, the US has not informed the refugees about the system of employment once the refugees reach there.

The US offers three types of employment opportunities for the refugees. First is the entry-level-job which requires little skill or experience such as hotel housekeeper, stewards and factory workers. Welcome to the United States, a guidebook for refugees writes that these jobs do not require a high level English and many refugees willing to resettle in the US find these jobs comfortable. Second is the skilled-labor-job requiring higher education or certain level of skill. But these kinds of jobs require licensing or membership of a union. The guidebook has clearly mentioned that licenses possessed by the refugees in the host country are not accepted without the US certification. The third type is professional job, which needs college degree with advanced English and high level of skills in the field.

Refugees have no idea as to what type of jobs they get in the host country. If they are clearly mentioned about the type of jobs, hourly wages, house rents and the like they can create a true judgment in their hearsays. Students who have acquired various certifications and academic degrees in Nepal have a fear that their documents will turn into showpieces.

Travel loan
The next confusion on the TCRP is travel loan. Different countries have different schemes and facilities to the refugees. From the very beginning, the US has been stating that refugees will have to repay the travel cost.

The US sources claim that the travel loan paid by the refugees goes into a fund that helps other refugees travel to the US. The US system requires that family members over 18 years of age receive such a loan. Before a refugee travels to the US, he will sign a paper called a promissory note, promising to repay the loan. A few months after a refugee arrives in the US, he must start repaying travel loan on a monthly basis and must complete in maximum three years. However, refugees are not informed of the exact figure of travel loan. Further, what happens to the loan if refugees do not get employment in the US is not clarified.

US military service
Several young refugees fear that they need to join the US military services. The US system asks male refugees over 18 and below 25 to register with the selective service. The selective service is a government agency that can call individuals for military service, usually at the time of war and all members of US military are volunteers at present. The US has been telling that this is a voluntary scheme to refugees. Nevertheless, there is hidden secret that people who do not register might find it difficult to get permanent residency and citizenship if they wish to make the US their permanent home.

Thousands of Bhutanese, who fled their country for safety and security in the late 80s and early 90s also, filled up a so-called voluntary form, which described that they would never return to Bhutan or undergo rigorous imprisonment if they do so. That has become a great tool for the Druk regime and often it utters that the refugees left their country voluntarily. Again, after 17 years of unproductive stay in the camp another voluntary offer — the third county resettlement plan — is knocking doors of ramshackle huts.

(The writer is General Secretary of Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) Bhutan.)

Fate Of Bhutanese Refugees Still Precarious

Source: The Rising Nepal
By Uttam Maharjan

With the announcement by the USA of its resettlement plan for the Bhutanese refugees, there have emerged two camps among the refugees: one in favour of the plan and the other in favour of repatriation to their homeland. The young refugees are in favour of resettling in the USA apparently because of their high expectations of better prospects there, whereas the elderly and old refugees are holding out for dignified repatriation to their homeland from a feeling of love for their homeland and patriotism.

Division
These two camps are so poles apart in their choice that several scuffles, often violent, have ensued between them. In other words, the refugees have divided themselves into two polarizing ideologies, compromising the very unity, which is extremely imperative to fight the Druk regime, among them.

Viewed thus, the US offer of third-country resettlement has exasperated the fate of the refugees. The refugees have felt tired of living in seven sponsored camps in Morang and Jhapa districts of eastern Nepal. However, there are good omens that some refugees will be taken to the USA for resettlement this year (2008). This process may take several years before all the eligible and willing refugees are resettled in the USA and some other countries.

The refugee crisis has now protracted itself for around one and a half decades. During all these years, sixteen rounds of bilateral talks have been held between Nepal and Bhutan; nonetheless, there has been no obvious indication that the refugee crisis will get solved in the near future.

As a matter of fact, Bhutan is in no mood to solve the refugee deadlock. It used to express its commitment before the world community, especially when under duress, that it would break the refugee impasse but would refuse to hold talks under one pretence or the other when it came to the crunch. The last such pretence got exposed in December 2003 when the members of the joint verification team of Bhutan left Nepal for their country without so much as informing the Nepalese team. At the time, the verification of the Khudunabari camp had been over and preparations were being made for the repatriation home of the first batch of refugees.

Since then, the Nepal-Bhutan talks have stalled. Nepal had, however, tried to revive the talks after the December incident too but to no avail. Bhutan did not show any interest in the talks and Nepal too was embroiled in political instability and so could not give proper attention to the refugee imbroglio. Now, the US offer of third-country resettlement has upset the unity of the refugees, putting them at enmity with one another. Consequently, the solution to the long-festering refugee problem has gone haywire.

With a view to vehement opposition to the plan from a certain segment of the refugees themselves, the chance of the plan being implemented seems to have grown slim. It is alleged by some quarters that the US plan has been floated to cause disunity among the refugees and thus halt their repatriation to Bhutan. Going by the developments unfolding since the plan was announced, there seems to be some truth in the allegation.

Third-country resettlement is not bad per se. It could be a solution to the refugee crisis. But third-country resettlement is not the be-all and end-all. Not all refugees want to resettle in third countries. There may be still hundred-percenters who are willing to go back to their own homeland and contribute to its development in whatever way they can. Therefore, two or more options should always be open: third-county resettlement and dignified repatriation, for instance. Assimilation into the citizenry of Nepal could also be another option. But it could complicate the citizenship issue of the country. Moreover, it could not only encourage but also embolden Bhutan to forcibly expel other Bhutanese of Nepalese origin, locally known Lhotshampas, in the future.

Incidents of assault on the refugees wanting to resettle in the USA by the refugees bent on repatriation to Bhutan have surfaced in recent times. It is not a good thing. All the refugees have been facing the same problem. All of them have been cut off from their native land. Their properties in Bhutan have already been usurped by the Bhutanese government. They have been forced to live in camps, experiencing a variety of problems ranging from food, clothing and shelter to education and security. It follows that infighting among the refugees will benefit the Bhutanese government only. So, they must show a united front to fight back their common problem.

It may not be reiterated that Nepal cannot give shelter to the refugees forever. The refugees have been given shelter on humanitarian grounds only. The solution must be found out in one way or the other. Therefore, before implementing the third-country resettlement option, the option of repatriation must be in place. Going by the efforts made by Nepal to bilaterally solve the refugee problem for donkey's years, support and cooperation must be sought from the world community. In this regard, the involvement of India in untying the refugee knot is highly forthcoming as India has special relations with Bhutan. The country looks after the defence and foreign policy of Bhutan. It is also the first country of asylum for the refugees. The refugees were living in India after forcible expulsion from Bhutan. The Indian government then dumped them in trucks on the eastern border of Nepal.

Clear
With all the developments of the refugee imbroglio going on for the last seventeen years, it has been clear that bilateralism cannot work wonders to solve the refugee problem once and for all. What is required is multilateralism, where help is forthcoming from the world community to thrash out the problem.

Bhutanese refugees worried that they will be slaves in America

Source: http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com

We have written on several previous occasions * at RRW about the Bhutanese refugees in United Nations camps in Nepal , some have been there for as long as 17 years. The United States has agreed to take 60,000 of these displaced people. The problem in a nutshell right now is that many camp leaders do not want their people scattered across the face of the globe because they think that if they stay together they will continue to be a political force and then might have some hope of returning to Bhutan.

The BBC reported this week (again) that violence and intimidation are being used against those who do wish to leave for America and points west. This has been going on for months now. What interested me most was this line:

……. a number of rumours are spread - that the flights out are to various extents a trick, with some people believing they will be used as slave labour on arrival in the US.

Of course ’slavery’ in its most commonly understood ugly form is illegal in the United States. We do occasionally hear reports that refugees are used by local volags (voluntary agencies) to do jobs for the volag without pay. Although we suspect that is rare.

More commonly however we hear and read reports of refugees who are shocked at the menial work for long hours that they must do, preferably as soon as 30 days after arrival. Some of you reading this are probably saying, so what, that is what we desire and admire in America—good old fashioned hard work, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and all of that. I agree.

However, I think the problem comes when displaced people spend a generation in a camp being taken care of by the United Nations and they haven’t a clue what it’s like in America. Like our fellow in Hagerstown from the Congo who just couldn’t grasp that he had to work to keep from being evicted, somehow a number of refugees are arriving here, expecting Shangri-La, without proper preparation overseas for what to expect in the hardworking West.

Reform needed

We need some reform. We need to take less refugees and make sure those we bring are better prepared for life in America before they even get on the plane. They must be thoroughly briefed on our culture. And, then we need for the volags to set aside some of their government funding to pay for refugees airfare back to their home countries and, yes, maybe even back to camps for those unhappy souls who decide they preferred their country or continent to American culture afterall.

* We have a very good search function, so check out our previous posts on this issue by typing in Bhutanese refugees into the search box.

I also previously suggested that refugee resettlement is being used by big companies to find cheap labor. Here is one of the posts I did on that. We’ve heard the same information from Emporia, KS, Shelbyville, TN and now Muscatine, Iowa

33,000 refugees to be resettled by 2009

Source: eKantipur.com

The Kathmandu-based representatives of the Core Group of Nations working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support the refugees from Bhutan has stated that in 2008 more than 13,000 refugees will be resettled from Nepal.

"By the end of 2009, we hope that an additional 20,000 or more refugees who have chosen resettlement will be starting new lives in the United States, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere," said a statement issued on Wednesday by US Ambassador to Nepal Nancy J Powell as Chair of the Core Group of Nations -- Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US.

The Core Group has emphasized that the offer of resettlement goes hand in hand with continuing efforts to urge the government of Bhutan to accept the return of the refugees. "Repatriation and local integration are recognized by all of us as being equally desirable durable solutions," said Powell in the statement.

The Core Group nations and other nations have extended the offer of resettlement as a durable humanitarian solution for the refugees only after many years of attempts by the governments of Nepal and Bhutan to negotiate a repatriation solution, Powell said.

"I want to express our pleasure at the official opening on January 9 of the refugee resettlement processing center in Damak for the Bhutanese refugees," Powell said. The center is operated by the International Organization for Migration.

The group members have called upon the government of Nepal to approve expedited exit permits for all refugees who are eligible for resettlement and to establish for future use a standardized process for the expeditious departure of refugees who wish to be resettled.

Core Group Hopes For Expedited Exit Permits For Refugees

Source: TheHimalayanTimes.com

US Envoy Nancy J Powell has hoped that the Nepal government would approve expedited exit permits for Bhutanese refugees. As the chairperson of the Core Group of Nations working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in support of the refugees from Bhutan, Powell expressed her pleasure at the official opening on January 9, 2008 of the refugee resettlement processing center in Damak for the Bhutanese refugees, in a statement issued by the US embassy today. The center is operated by the International Organization for Migration.
The statement said tthat it is our hope that in 2008 more than 13,000 refugees will be resettled from Nepal. By the end of 2009, we hope that an additional 20,000 or more refugees who have chosen resettlement will be starting new lives in the United States, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere.

Each refugee is entitled to make his or her own choice, in an atmosphere free from threats and intimidation. We thank the Government of Nepal, through the efforts of the Nepal Police and Armed and Civilian Police for its work in improving the security and safety of the refugees in the camps. We know that many refugees in the camps remain concerned about their security and ask that the Government maintain its vigilance in this regard and vigorously pursue the perpetrators of violent acts against the residents of the camps, the statement said.

The Core Group nations – and other nations – have extended the offer of resettlement as a humanitarian durable solution for the refugees only after many years of attempts by the Governments of Nepal and Bhutan to negotiate a repatriation solution. The Core Group would like to emphasize that the offer of resettlement goes hand in hand with our continuing efforts to urge the Government of Bhutan to accept the return of the refugees. Repatriation and local integration are recognized by all of us as being equally desirable durable solutions, the statement added.

The core group of Nations also called upon the Government of Nepal to approve expedited exit permits for all refugees who are currently otherwise eligible for resettlement and to establish for future use a standardized process for the expeditious departure of refugees who wish to be resettled.

Resettlement : Need Of The Hour

Source: The Rising Nepal

By Kazi Gautam

A good few refugees seem happy as about five hundred of them will be resettled in the United States very soon. With this, the much anticipated resettlement proposal is formally being implemented. This is to be followed by a monthly resettlement of some thousand refugees in the US. Also, some refugees have been waiting to be resettled in countries like England, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and others.

There have been some incidents that have a direct connection with the resettlement scheme of the United States. Arjun Subba, a refugee from Beldangi I, was shot on the stomach a month back. A year ago, some refugee huts belonging to those who showed interest in being resettled were burnt to ashes. Hari Bangaley was even beaten up severely for advocating the resettlement plan. Prior to this, he had managed to evade attacks by unidentified armed assailants on April 10. To add, Parshu Ram Dahal of Timai camp and three refugee teachers were harassed solely for showing interest in the U.S. proposal.

Prior to the attempt to murder Subba, I had been to the refugee camp. What I saw near the Armed Police check post (APP) in Beldangi II extension refugee camp took me by surprise. It was seven o'clock in the morning. Owing to the cold mid-winter morning, there were very few people in the vicinity.

Not withstanding the cold weather, a handful of people were seen standing, turning their heads every now and then as if they were impatiently waiting for someone. The arrival of a vehicle of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) at 7.30 made me dead sure that the people standing nearby were going to the IOM office to be interviewed for resettlement.

The situation in the camps seemed friendly then. We found the refugees at ease. They were happy with the establishment of the (APP). However, with the assault on Subba, things have changed, and everyone is on high alert.

Although, some section of the people have made their resolve to be resettled in the western countries, the reasons for doing so differ from individual to individual. The elderly people have decided to opt for resettlement only so that the future generation can have a better future. Others want to live like humans. There are some who don't see the prospect of getting repatriated. Most of them have decided to fight for the establishment of democracy in Bhutan even after getting resettled. Above all, most of them have accepted it as the need of the hour.

Resettlement does not seem difficult given the information campaign conducted by officials of the UNHCR and the US. Nonetheless, the people fear whether their academic certificates would be recognised abroad. Some commoners doubt if they would be allowed to practise their culture and follow their religion in the western countries. Some youths want to go abroad regardless of whether their parents want to accompany them or not.

It is clear that some factors are posing as obstacles to the resettlement programme. Just when resettlement is about to begin, some people are being confused by news appearing in different newspapers. This has, however, had a positive effect. Many refugees are seen crowding the UNHCR and IOM offices to get firsthand information about the procedure of resettlement and weigh its credibility.

On the other hand, some people still have a faint hope to get repatriated. They don't want to pose a hindrance to those wanting to start a new life thousands of miles away, but they themselves want to return to their country with honour and dignity. According to them, resettling refugees in the western countries will not bring a lasting solution to the problem.

After 17 years of stay in the refugee camps, the refugees have probably decided for themselves what their future should be like. So they are likely to have differences of opinion. Some people have been terrorising the innocent refugees and not allowing them to think of the options at hand. It must be realised that nothing can be solved by force. Ultimate success comes only through peaceful dialogue. This is the right time for the refugees to comprehend the complexities surrounding the crisis.

The latest activities of the Druk dictator need to be read between the lines. It must be analysed whether the king who is imprisoning the southerners, alleging them of having links with the Bhutan Communist Party (UML), will accept its exiled ones. Let us suppose the refugees are repatriated. Is there any prospect of getting compensation for the sufferings during these 17 years? Will the political parties formed in exile be recognised?
Rights

There are numerous questions that directly touch the lives of the Bhutanese, living inside and outside Bhutan. Whatever the matter, the refugees must be practical and respect others' opinion. No one - be he a leader or a commoner - should snatch away the refugees' rights to decide their future themselves. Furthermore, it would be wise on the part of the refugees to discourage acts of violence in the refugee camps. Let a conducive environment be created so that all refugees can feel free to discuss their future.
(Gautam is chief editor, The Bhutan Reporter)

US asks Nepal to support resettlement

Source: Apfanews.com

US ambassador to Nepal Nancy Powel asked the Nepalese government to ease the process for resettlement of the exiled Bhutanese.

During her meeting with the Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Wednesday morning at the prime minister’s residence, Powel sought immediate decision from the Nepalese government to begin the process of resettlement.

However, it has not been know what Koirala reacted.

Despite the agreement to allow third country resettlement, the Nepalese government has been delaying to issue the transit permit to those willing to resettle in the western countries.

US to Shelter 10,000 Bhutanese Refugees Soon

Source: The Himalayan Times

The United States will assimilate 10,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal under the first phase of refugee rehabilitation programme, US ambassador to Nepal Nancy J Powell said on Wednesday. Powell was speaking at the inauguration of Overseas Processing Entity (OPE).
Though Powell did not specify when the process will begin, Jhapa chief district officer Shankar Prasad Koirala told this daily that the US and Nepal governments had agreed that the first batch of refugees will leave for the US in March.

Powell told the gathering to take the rehabilitation offers from countries other than the US just as seriously. "We mooted the third-country settlement option after realising that it was difficult to get the refugees repatriated," she said.

Powell said the US will not abandon its efforts to get the refugees repatriated, adding that under the circumstances third-country settlement was the most feasible option. "They left their homes 17 years ago and are leading displaced lives. If their repatriation is forced upon Bhutan, they might be uprooted again," said Powell.

CDO Koirala said that while the government was committed to the refugees' repatriation, it had also kept the option of third-country settlement open for those wanting to opt for it. Newly appointed UNHCR Nepal chief Daisy Dale said the refugees were free to opt for either repatriation or third-country settlement. She added that she will visit Jhapa district again to discuss the issues of the refugees.

Spokesperson for the international non-government organisation IOM's Damak office chief David Derthicke said his organisation will see to the verification of refugees, their rehabilitation and do all the paperwork with regard to forwarding their documents to the host countries. Denmark's and Norway's ambassadors, who visited Jhapa along with Powell, also dropped by at the IOM office.

Resettlement a positive step to solution

Source: Apfanews.com

Exiled Bhutanese living in Germany, who are members of the Bhutan People’s Party, said resettlement process is one of the positive steps towards finding resolution of the protracted crisis.

In a statement, they said, other options of repatriation should also be given priority by all the authorities involved in the resettlement process.

“Repatriation is the only lasting solution, but given the ground reality we cannot rule-out the option of third country resettlement as well. Thus the politically conscious exiled Bhutanese should not stop the individuals who opt for third country resettlement,” the statement reads.

Critising the attack on Arjun Subba, they asked all exiled Bhutanese to refrain from inter rivalry amongst ourselves. “If our minds are together, geographical distance will not stop us from working towards our honorable return to homeland,” it further said.

Stressing on the need to expand the network regardless of where individual lives, the exiled Bhutanese said some interest groups or individuals raised voices against third country resettlement.

“Exiled Bhutanese should be allowed to make free choice of their future. The involvement of few of them doing advocacy for resettlement has brought irritation to those who are committed for repatriation. In view of the prevailing situation we call upon the fellow Bhutanese citizens to work with wisdom and maintain peace and normalcy in society.”

They further added, “The royal government of Bhutan need not be happy with the news of resettlement. This is not going to end the problem. Exiled Bhutanese are clear in their thoughts that they are not given justice and shall carry on their struggle for rights and justice till they establish a true democracy in the country. Bhutanese movement for democracy can be more consolidated if a portion of Bhutanese in exile are resettled in the west.”

From Bhutan to Norway: A sorry saga

Source: The Kathmandu Post

Seventeen years back, Sukumaya Rai, now 32, was a happy woman. Just married to the man of her choice, she was comfortable with what she had: A loving husband, a piece of land, and a small herd of cattle. And she hardly thought of anything beyond her village, cloistered in Simche district, southern Bhutan.

"Life was beautiful back then," she recalls. But fate had other things in store for Sukumaya, now a mother of five.

After spending 17-odd years as a refugee at Beldangi, Jhapa district, Sukumaya is taking a giant step in her life on January 7-- She will fly to Norway to start a new life.

The Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) listed her family as vulnerable and made arrangements for her resettlement in Norway. Accompanying her on the journey are her five children -- three daughters and two sons aged six to 16 years.

As the day for her departure nears, Sukumaya is anxious about this journey into the largely unknown and at the same time she feels weighed down by memories of a brutal past, more so now than ever.

The most traumatic experience of her life was the eviction of her family from Bhutan in one of the worst instances of ethnic cleansing in the sub-continent. It shattered her world and her life then went gradually into a downward spiral.

As the Druk regime stepped up a reign of terror on the Nepali speaking population, her husband fled to India, leaving her behind pregnant.

Sukumaya too joined a refugee caravan to neighboring India one wintry night in 1991, to escape persecution. After spending six months in West Bengal, she ended up in the refugee camp in Jhapa where she was reunited with her husband.

But it wasn't a happy ending. Actually, it turned out to be the beginning of new suffering. "Little did I know then that harsher days were still ahead of me," she recalls.

She gave birth to four more children in quick succession at the refugee camp. Her world crumbled once again when her husband abandoned her, for no apparent reason, and started to live with another woman. The worse was yet to come: One of her daughters, who was six at the time, was raped in the camp.

When asked if she would be comfortable in an alien land, she said she was not sure. "But I am taking the decision for the sake of my children.

Most important years of my life have been wasted in the refugee camp and I don't want the same thing to happen to my children."

She recalled how happy she was the day UNHCR officials told her that the Norwegian government was ready to welcome her in Norway.

Sukumaya, who has studied up to grade three, is happy that she has been promised education for her children, a job for herself and citizenship for the family after three years.

She is beginning her new journey with fond memories of happier days. "The smell of cardamom, cattle, grass, the soil and water of my village still linger in my nostrils," she remembers. To go back to Bhutan and see her village just once again is the 'most cherished' dream of her life, something that may never come true.

Sukumaya's is the third Bhutanese refugee family headed to Norway for resettlement.

There are 105,000 refugees at the seven UNHCR-run camps in Jhapa and Morang districts. Some refugee families recognized as vulnerable have already settled in third countries. The rest are awaiting resettlement in western countries, including the United States.