IOM's resettlement programme for Bhutanese refugees from camps in
eastern Nepal, which started in January 2008, has now assisted over
10,000 people.

The refugees, known as Lhotsampas, have been resettled in the
United States (9,032), Australia (520), New Zealand (186), Denmark
(140), Norway (109), the Netherlands (55), Canada (33) and Sweden
(3).

More than 105,000 Lhotsampas, who are of ethnic Nepali origin,
fled to seven camps in the Jhapa and Morang regions of Nepal 17
years ago following Bhutan's decision to revoke their citizenship
and to expel them. 

Subsequent negotiations to allow them to return to Bhutan failed
and in September 2007 the Nepalese government signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with IOM to carry out resettlement activities in
Damak, the Nepali town closest to the camps.

The activities include the processing of cases referred to
resettlement countries by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), as well as the medical screening, cultural orientation and
travel arrangements of refugees accepted for resettlement.

IOM opened a sub-office in Damak in December 2007 and now
employs over 200 local staff operating in Damak and all seven
Lhotsampas camps.

"IOM would like to express gratitude to the government of Nepal
and to our partners at UNHCR for their continuous support of the
resettlement programme," says the head of the IOM Damak sub-office
David Derthick.

"In 2008 more than 8,000 Bhutanese refugees left the camps. We
hope to more than double that number to between 16,000 and 18,000
in 2009," he added.

For more information please contact:

Ann Strandoo

IOM Damak

Tel: +9779851108084

E-mail: "mailto:astrandoo@iom.int">astrandoo@iom.int