Resettling Bhutanese Refugees – Canada’s Commitment
What is Canada doing to help Bhutanese refugees?
Bhutanese refugee camp (image courtesy of the UNHCR).
Bhutanese refugees of ethnic Nepalese descent have been living in seven camps in eastern Nepal since the early 1990s. Canada is part of a group of eight countries which includes Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom which are taking steps to address this long-standing situation by resettling some of these refugees.
In May 2007, the Government of Canada announced that it would resettle up to 5,000 Bhutanese refugees over the next three to five years.
In June 2012, the Government announced that it would resettle up to 500 more refugees with family connections in Canada.
Plans to resettle up to 1,000 more Bhutanese refugees were announced in March 2013.
In total, Canada will resettle up to 6,500 Bhutanese refugees who have been living for nearly two decades in U.N. run camps.
Canada’s resettlement program
The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening Canada’s role as a global leader in refugee protection by enhancing our resettlement programs.
Canada operates a global resettlement program and resettles refugees from about 70 different nationalities.
How are the resettlement plans going?
Bhutanese refugees waiting for their interviews
When this resettlement movement first started in 2007, there were about 108,000 Bhutanese refugees in the camps.
The eight countries participating in this project have together committed to resettling at least 70,000 persons over a period of years and already, more than 69,000 people have left Nepal for their new lives in these countries. Resettlement efforts are ongoing. Thanks to the efforts of these countries, the Government of Nepal, with the support of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has been able to reduce the number of refugee camps from seven to two.
As of December 31, 2015, close to 6,600 Bhutanese have arrived in Canada.
Refugees have settled into more than 21 communities across Canada, including Charlottetown, Fredericton, St. John’s, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec City, Laval, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Windsor, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Lethbridge and Vancouver, to name just a few.
Information from previous trips to Damak
In September 2008, the first team of Canadian officials went to Damak, Nepal, to conduct the first selection interviews with Bhutanese refugees seeking resettlement. Throughout this process, the Canadian team has worked closely with its international partners at the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Bhutanese refugees were very enthusiastic and optimistic about resettling in Canada. This is a very diverse group of men, women and children of all ages. They speak a variety of languages, and the adults have a range of employment skills. The first refugees to be resettled included the following:
- women at risk
- survivors of violence and torture
- refugees with medical needs such as speech and hearing impairments
While only a handful of people already have family living in Canada, many speak English and it is not uncommon for the young adults to have secondary, and even post-secondary education.
Following the interviews, refugees who are selected undergo medical, security and criminality checks, and those who meet all admissibility requirements will then be eligible for resettlement to Canada.
How you can help the Bhutanese
Interested parties can sponsor and help integrate Bhutanese refugees into our communities through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.