US resettles 60,000 Bhutanese refugees

The United States has resettled as many as 60,000 Bhutanese refugees since the start of the resettlement process in 2007.

The 60,000th Bhutanese refugee departed to the US from Nepal on Tuesday (September 4). A 28-year-old refugee woman flew to Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and young daughter to start a new life there, the US embassy informed.

The US, in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), began resettling Bhutanese refugees residing in eastern Nepal in 2007.

Other countries participating in this resettlement programme - Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom – have collectively resettled another 11,000 individuals.

Issuing a press statement the US embassy Wednesday said that the US was committed to considering for resettlement as many Bhutanese refugees as interested. nepalnews.com