Marry Bhutan refugees, settle in US ?

Source: Times of India

KATHMANDU: Young Bhutanese refugees have now suddenly become the most sought
after for marriage among the eastern Nepalese girls, thanks to a
resettlement offer by the US and European countries.

Nepali girls are vying to marry such boys as it would provide golden
opportunity to go abroad. This phenomenon is amply visible in Jhapa and
Morang districts of Nepal where Bhutanese refugees are settled for the last
17 years.

From January to August some 113 Nepalese girls have tied nuptials with the
Bhutanese refugee boys. Earlier, the Bhutanese refugees were seen as source
of trouble to them but now they are seen as cause of good fortune.

The US has offered some 60,000 Bhutanese refugees resettlement opportunities
and US ambassador to Nepal Nancy Powell announced the US may increase the
number of Bhutanese refugees to be accepted for resettlement.

About 4,000 refugees have already left for the US and European countries
over the past six months. The officials of the International Migration
Office have also encouraged that those who have fallen in love with someone
to get married before leaving for abroad.

Uncertain refuge - Funding cuts jeopardize services to growing influx of refugees

Source: www.goerie.com

By REBECCA HARRIS

rebecca.harris@timesnews.com

(Left) Shyam and Rupa Rai are refugees that recently moved to Erie from Bhutan. The couple live on Erie's eastside with two of their sons, John Rai, 25, and Amos Rai, 23. (Janet B. Campbell / Erie Times-News)

After living for 16 years without grocery stores, refrigerators or phones, the Rai family found their new East 23rd Street apartment a bit foreign.

There was the heating system they had never seen.

And the locking front door.

"Two times we are already locked (out) here because our parents do not know how to use things," said John Rai, 25.

For their apartment -- as well as the English as a Second Language classes they attend, and the shiny new sneakers that John Rai bought at Walmart -- the Rai family can thank the International Institute of Erie, a resettlement agency that helps refugees intensively during their first six months in the area.


The apartment is about twice as big as the mud-and-bamboo hut the family occupied in a Nepalese refugee camp.

But John Rai's parents, Shyam Rai, 65, and Rupa Raini, 63, have yet to learn English or find jobs.

And starting Oct. 1, cuts in funding for social services to assist refugees after the first six months of resettlement funding ends, which might leave some refugees' needs unmet.

Social programs statewide have suffered cuts for the coming budget cycle.

But refugees in Erie may be facing a particular crunch.

Funding for the year starting Oct. 1 is based on the low numbers of refugees who came to Pennsylvania between October 2004 and October 2007, state refugee coordinator Norm-Anne Rothermel said.

In the year since, however, the number arriving in Erie has doubled to more than 300.

On Thursday, the Legislature allocated $350,000 to help fill the gap, restoring funding to 2007's level, Rothermel said. A $300,000 shortfall remains because a new refugee service agency in Philadelphia now shares in the funding.

Before the cuts, Erie County's three refugee agencies had big plans for working together.

The International Institute works with refugees in their first six months here. The Hispanic American Council provides social services for years after they arrive. Catholic Charities does both.

Since the beginning of 2008, they have met jointly to come up with a self-sufficiency plan for each family, said Joel Tuzynski, executive director of Hispanic American Council.

Funding for a certified counselor and a medical advocate began in April, he said.

But by May, a 10 percent funding cut put the cooperative effort's future in jeopardy.

Tuzynski had envisioned sharing resources such as driving simulators and financial-management classes. A shuttle could transport refugees between different agencies, and even to their jobs.

But those ideas could now be moot, leaving Erie's increasing numbers of refugees with fewer options.

Funding allocations will be announced in letters mailed this week, Rothermel said.

Tuzynski is waiting.

Refugees from Bhutan like the Rai family are the third-largest group arriving in Erie, according to numbers provided by John Flanagan, director of the International Institute. Nearly 70 have come to Erie since October 2006.

Although John Rai has been in the U.S. only since July, he already looks like any other American 25-year-old, from his short black hair tousled with gel to his sneakers.

When his family left for a refugee camp in Nepal in 1992, John Rai was 8 and attending school in India. Within a couple of years, he joined them in the camp because his parents could not pay for his education.

The Bhutanese government expelled many ethnic Nepali families like the Rais in a drive to "purify" the country, John Rai said.

For decades beforehand, his parents had suffered doubly because they are also Christian.

Bhutanese police raided house churches on Christmas. Shyam Rai was repeatedly summoned to the mayor's office and forced to stand against a wall for hours.

"We can't say with our head lifted up that we're Christian in our country," John Rai said. "Sometimes we have to tell lies. We have to hide it."

Shyam Rai and Rupa Raini, both pastors, raised their three sons in the faith. John Rai sprinkles the phrase "by the grace of God" into everyday conversation. He started teaching Sunday school at age 12 and preaching at age 16.

He studied theology in college and graduate school in India. He relied on scholarships, help from friends and income from preaching to pay the bills.

"I didn't eat, and I didn't buy new clothes, but I used my money to buy books," he said.

He left 40 of those books behind in the refugee camp.

On a desk the International Institute gave him, he keeps a small stack of books that he brought, as well as a Longman Dictionary of American English from the International Institute and a stack of Bibles from Crossroads Community Baptist Church.

The Bibles, he said, are to give to other refugees. While his parents don't know enough English to be pastors here, John Rai has already found employment at Crossroads doing community outreach.

After growing up in a refugee camp, he said, a desire to help others motivates him.

"God has given me that privilege and responsibility to follow his path. I am in the right track, I believe," he said, putting his hand on his chest.

"I have died many times, but God helped me resurrect."

REBECCA HARRIS can be reached at 870-1739 or by e-mail.

Refugees In Erie And The U.S., By The Numbers

• 50,000: Number of refugees who come to the U.S. each year.
  
• 
  
• 60,000: Number of Bhutanese refugees U.S. has pledged to accept by October 2012.
  
• 
  
• 5,000: Number of Bhutanese refugees who have arrived in the U.S. in the past 12 months.
  
• 
  
• 69: Number of Bhutanese refugees who have settled in Erie since October 2006.
  

SOURCES: Ben Sanders, spokesman for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; John Flanagan, director, International Institute of Erie.

Resettlement In Australia

Source: The Rising Nepal

By: T. P. Mishra

The offer of Third Country Resettlement (TCR) for now has become an immediate solution to the protracted Bhutanese refugee issue. Even looking at it statistically, an escalating number of refugees are showing interest in the TCR. As many as 3,000 plus Bhutanese refugees have already been resettled in different countries, including the US, the biggest of the resettling core group comprising Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.

Why the delay?

Majority of the refugees being resettled have reached the US. The other six countries in the core group have been a bit slow in expediting the resettlement process. The latest statistical data show that as many as 62 individuals among the 1,000 already interviewed have been resettled in Australia. The process for resettlement, particularly in Australia, is confusing to the people living in the different camps. A number of refugees, whose process for resettlement in Australia has been completed, have been frustrated by the delaying tactics opted by the Australian government.

Refugees who began the necessary process for resettlement in Australia following the visit by Ellen Saurbrey on November 1, 2007 are yet to get their confirmation date to leave Nepal for Australia. Ganga Woti Bhujel (name changed) of Sanischare camp began the process for resettlement in Australia in 2007. Ganga Woti says she was given assurances of resettlement within four months of undergoing her medical check-up in February 2008. What is interesting is that Ganga Woti will have to undergo more medical check-ups once the date crosses six months. Ganga Woti further says that she has been wearing the clothes and using other basic necessities which she intended to use after resettling in Australia. Like many others, Ganga Woti has also sold all her belongings after the medical check-up.

A number of refugees have already undergone numerous medical check-ups. A source very close to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), on condition of anonymity, says that the IOM usually carries out the medical check-ups for refugees to be resettled in Australia without wasting a single day once the file is received at the office. Thus it is only natural that those who have undergone medical check-ups should be greatly frustrated.

In comparison to the resettlement programme in the US, those applying or whose process is already underway, particularly for Australia, are in a sea-saw position, meaning they do not know whether to withdraw and apply for another country or wait and see for new developments, if any. There is no concerned authority stationed near the refugee camps where the refugees can put forth their inquiries regarding resettlement in Australia.

Many refugees complain that the staff at the Damak-based UNHCR office do not cooperate when the refugees reach the office for any inquiry. This unfair and unjustifiable trend should be immediately stopped. It is necessary on the part of the resettling countries to establish an inquiry office near the refugee camps. This will help the refugees to stay free of any mental harassment. The UNHCR must state clearly if it is capable of handling all these issues single-handedly.

It is worth drawing the attention to a case of one Raghu Bhandari (name changed) of Morang-based Sanischare camp. His brother has gone mentally ill following the delay in the resettlement process in Australia. He had undergone the medical check-up as early as January 2008.

Another Bhandari family (surname changed) in Beldangi-II camp regrets choosing Australia as their resettling country. "If it is possible, we want to withdraw our case from resettling in Australia," says the father who leads the family. The other problem is that the UNHCR gradually cuts off facilities for refugees whose resettlement process has begun. This family has had the bitter experience of seeing rude behaviour from the UNHCR staff while making inquiries about their resettlement process in Australia.

Solutions

Dissemination of reliable information is a problem, with which the refugees are getting impatient. The IOM is not the agency to deal with resettlement in Australia, and the UNHCR is unresponsive to the queries put forth by the refugees. To be honest, people in the camps say Australia is not the best country to be resettled. This might not be true, but the concerned authorities have the moral obligation to disseminate reliable information to the refugee community. They have the right to know why the delay in the resettlement in Australia.

Those refugees visiting the Kathmandu-based Australian Embassy quoted officials as saying that the Australian government would resettle only as many Bhutanese refugees as the Canadian Government does as agreed in the core group negotiation. The Canadian government has resettled a little more than a dozen refugees till date and has yet to resettle a considerable number within this year. The Australian government might be waiting to see what number of refugees the Canadian government would resettle this year and make its plan accordingly.

Many refugee students have already quit their studies after getting assurances from the Kathmandu-based Australian Embassy. But the same embassy has now been saying that further inquires need to be made directly with the New Delhi-based immigration head office. So the delaying schemes of the Australian government need to be read between the lines.

(The author is editor of Kathmandu-based Bhutan News Service)

Meaningful dialogue to resolve Bhutanese refugee issue stressed

Source: Rising Nepal

JHAPA, Sept.10: Political leaders of Nepal and Bhutan Wednesday underscored multilateral dialogues to address the protracted Bhutanese refugee problem. 

Speaking at an interaction between the leaders of Nepal and Bhutan here in Birtamod, they demanded meaningful dialogue among Nepal, Bhutan, India and refugee representatives.

Jhapa-in-charge of the CPN-Maoist Sandesh said that his party was against third country resettlement of the Bhunese refugees.

"We are against the Indian interest of sending the Bhutanese refugees to the third country and we are ready to support their mission of repatriation."

Chhabilal Kharel of Bhutanese Communist Party (MLM) said that the refugee problem should be taken as a class struggle of Bhutan because the problem is directly linked with the liberation of the working class.

It was time to hold dialogue among Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bhutanese refugees to repatriate them to their home country, he added.

Badri Bhattarai of CPN-UML, Jyoti Singh Darlami of Janamorcha Nepal and Bhutanese activist DP Kafle expressed their views at the programme.

Bhutanese Refugees Resettle In Atlanta

Source: 11alive.com

They are called the "forgotten people" by relief organizations. More than 100,000 Bhutanese are estimated to live in refugee camps -- homeless and stateless. And nearly 6 dozen refugee families from Bhutan now call Atlanta home in one of the largest resettlement efforts.

For 17 years, she has known nothing of life except the life of a refugee.

"We knew we were in a camp. We don't get any right and justice. And outside people discriminate us and they did badly to us," said Sita Timsina.

Timsina was only 6 years old when her family was forced from their quiet life in Bhutan as orange farmers into a refugee camp in neighboring Nepal.

Until 3 months ago, a make-shift hut of bamboo and plastic was home. Sita says life was primitive, and at times, unbearable.

"No we don't have any power, electricity, no toilet, no bathrooms, no nothing. In the beginning we use open ground for the toilet."

"It's very difficult. There is no electricity, no light. We have to eat food before getting dark at evening time because there is no light," said Indira Nepal, who lived in a different refugee camp in southeast Nepal.

But with the aid of the United Nations and other relief groups, Sita and her family escaped that life as a part of one of the largest resettlement efforts. Of the 60,000 Bhutan refugees allowed in the states, Sita's family is one of 70 refugee families, who have resettled in Atlanta around Clarkston.

"They are coming in great numbers. And their numbers are equal to refugees from Iraq and Burma right now. And we are expecting their numbers to increase. They just started coming this year," said Honishka Adish with the International Rescue Committee.

There are 105,000 ethnic Nepalis, a Hindu minority in Bhutan, who human rights groups say were politically, socially, and religiously persecuted, and eventually exiled from Bhutan.

"It's almost one-six of the population in Bhutan," said Narayan Katel, who was a former Bhutanese diplomat and now helps resettle Bhutanese refugees into Atlanta.

Most of them have lived as refugees in southeast Nepal for nearly 20 years. Their life, their story, their plight is that of what relief groups call the "forgotten people."

"It's basically an issue of human rights," said Katel, who sought asylum from the Bhutanese government.

Sita yearns to return to her homeland of Bhutan. But for now, Atlanta is home. And it is her life here...That has allowed her to hope and dream of more.

"This is the land of opportunity."

The International Rescue Committee in Atlanta provides financial assistance for the refugee families and helps them find housing and jobs.

To make furniture, clothing, monetary donations, you can call IRC at (404) 292-7731.

The Jewish Family Career Services has also set up an emergency fund for the families. Donors looking to donate money can call (770) 677-9300. Item donations can be made by calling (404) 983-2004.