For instance, the thought of exile had never crossed the mind of Aalap Kumar Pradhan, an officer with the Bhutanese security forces. However, dismissed from the service on false charges, Pradhan was compelled to flee to Nepal. Left without any proper means of sustenance, Pradhan migrated to Gujrat, India some 14 years ago after staying in one of the various refugee camps in Jhapa for seven years.

However, Pradhan received a tremendous shock when he reached the Camp Management Committee (CMC) and Refugee Coordination Unit (RCU) where he could not find his name in the list of Bhutanese refugees, and hence could not get his identity cards.

“There is no doubt that I am a Bhutanese refugee,” Pradhan said, adding that he has kept a copy from the initial registration of the Bhutanese refugees. 

Another Bhutanese refugee, Aalap Kumar, lamented that he and many like him have been deprived of relief materials, including other benefits and facilities, due to the lack of ID cards.

Similarly, the condition of Dambar Chettri who had migrated for work and was absent during the identification and distribution of photo IDs in 2006 is no different from that of Aalap Kumar’s.

“While my elderly parents are desperately waiting for my arrival after being resettled in a foreign country, I am quietly shedding tears in their memory,” Chettri said. His parents who were living in Khudunabari refugee camp were resettled through the third country resettlement programme.

Despite having a copy of the initial registration, scores of Bhutanese refugees like the aforementioned two have been left in lurch after the old document was nullified following the distribution of Photo identity cards. Declaring that distribution of photo ID cards was the final process of identifying Bhutanese refugees, the government has rendered the previous documents null and void.

“I have heard about their problems, but am not in a position to distribute the ID cards solely on the grounds of their complaint as an approval from the Home Ministry is needed,” said Jhapa’s Chief District Officer Tej Prasad Pokhrel, adding that there was no resettlement plan at the moment.

“The government and UNHCR should give a second chance to those left out during the identification programme due to various circumstances,” said secretary Sanchhang Subba of Beldangi camp.

Many of those who lack ID cards have been living at the shelter of those already resettled while some have been living with their relatives.

Most of the Bhutanese refugees who lack the photo IDs have been making ends meet by working as a daily wage worker. It is estimated that there are about 3,000 refugees without ID cards, effectively depriving them of their refugee status.