“We continue to engage with the Government of Bhutan on the issue of voluntary repatriation of Bhutanese refugees,” UNHCR Representative in Nepal Craig Sanders said during a press conference that was organised focusing on the World Refugee Day on June 20.

Sanders hailed Nepal for generously hosting a large number of refugees, mostly from Bhutan, for many decades, adding that the UN and its refugee agency “remain committed to the search for durable solutions for all refugees”.

Currently, 26,989 refugees from Bhutan remain hosted in two camps in eastern Nepal: Beldangi in Jhapa district and Sanischare in Morang district. Nearly 82 % of them (22,298 refugees) have declared interest in  resettlement,

it was informed at the programme.

Similarly, UNHCR said it facilitates the safe transit of Tibetan arrivals through Nepal to India and ensures that their protection and material needs are addressed while in Nepal. There are an estimated 15,000-20,000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal.

At the same programme, Kashish Das Shrestha, a writer and a photographer talked about a 10-day public event featuring photo exhibition, films and talk programmes around the theme “Refugee Stories” to be hosted at the Durbarmarg-based City Museum in the Capital from Friday. Shrestha said that photos of all refugees regardless of their nationalities have been spaced together to convey that their stories of struggle remain the same.