resettlement | The Bhutan Watch

Civics

Bhutanese Settlement and Community Leadership

by Om Dhungel January 16, 2021

ABSTRACT Traditionally, three possible solutions are pursued to address refugee problems globally. These include repatriation of refugees to their country of origin; local integration or third-country resettlement. This article explores further the resettlement option, how it is currently approached by different resettlement countries, and opportunities for key stakeholders to work more collaboratively by adopting strength-based approaches. Role of service providers as well as communities and community leaders are explored in driving positive settlement as well as successful integration outcomes. The focus of this article is on learnings from the Bhutanese refugee settlement experiences in different settlement countries and the role community leaders can play in driving successful settlement outcomes. Keywords: Bhutanese refugees, capacity building community, leadership, resettlement, strength-based approach, Read Complete Article

Human Rights

Bhutanese Refugees: Past, Present and Future

by Govinda Rizal January 16, 2021

Professor Dr. Michael Hutt, who was until recently Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies, at the School of Oriental and Africa Studies (SOAS), University of London, is a renowned scholar on Bhutan studies. He has visited Bhutan, the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal, and Bhutanese resettled in developed countries. He has closely studied the refugee saga from the beginning till date. He has authored books and articles in peer-reviewed journals on Bhutanese issues. I P Adhikari and Dr. Govinda Rizal of Bhutan Watch Team approached Dr. Hutt for a conversation on past, present and future of the former and current Bhutanese refugees. Read Complete Interview

Politics

Refugees Longing for Repatriation Anticipate Permanent Persuaders

by Taralal Shrestha and Bidhya Shrestha January 16, 2021

Repatriation is not just a physical return to ‘home’ but a complex political process. With the deadlock of repatriation, resettlement came to be the only practical solution to most of the Bhutanese refugees, which weakened the repatriation movement in the sense both local integration and third-country resettlement couldn’t be a durable solution. Bhutanese refugees faced severe pain in exile, got international attention when they began efforts of repatriation. After the peace marches to Bhutan failed in 1996 & 2007, repatriation voices got gradually muted an activist-less eloquent. The repatriation persuaders (the eloquent and visible leaders) excluding few exceptions chose the third-country resettlement and disappeared from the activism. A paucity of unified permanent persuaders weakened the vibrancy of the repatriation movement. For restoring the vitality of activism, the repatriation movement of Bhutanese refugees anticipates permanent persuaders as a historic necessity to a logical conclusion. Keywords: Hegemony, refugee, resistance, repatriation, resettlement Read Complete Article