‘No non-Bhutanese has been resettled’ (Resettlement)

Kathmandu, June 18: The US Embassy in Kathmandu and UNHCR have denied that any non-Bhutanese has been resettled in the US under the third country resettlement program.

In a joint statement issued by the embassy and UNHCR on Wednesday has clarified that recent news reports saying a few people have managed their way to the US, as exiled Bhutanese, are unfounded.

"There have been several reports published in Nepal that contain factually inaccurate information regarding refugee resettlement in the United States. UNHCR and the US Embassy confirm that all refugees resettled so far have successfully gone through an exhaustive process and have been confirmed to be genuine candidates for resettlement,” the statement reads.

The statement adds, "Each refugee who is resettled goes through an extensive screening process, first by UNHCR, second by IOM, then by representatives of the resettlement country, in this case by officials of the US Department of Homeland Security."

The embassy also said that identity of each exiled Bhutanese is checked several times against a data base containing the refugee's picture and finger prints, the embassy added.

Recently, an exiled Bhutanese from Beldangi II had complained Bhutan News Service that a non-Bhutanese has been resettled to US in the name of his father. Bhutan News Service