US officials start final interviews for resettlement

Damak, November 27: As part of speeding up the resettlement process, the second stage of interviewing of the exiled Bhutanese interested to third country resettlement by the US government officials has begun on Monday.

The filed of those people interviewed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been handed over to the US government’s Department of Home Security (DHS). The DHS takes the final decision on individual cases if one is suit for the program.

The interviewing process began at the IOM field office in Damak. First batch of people face the interview on the same day. A person appearing the interview while talking to Bhutan News Service expressed hope to fly to the US by mid January.

According to him, those expressing extra interest in third country resettlement and making contacts with UNHCR and the IOM are expected to be chosen in first batch to fly to the US.

“I neither am under protection case due to torture in Bhutan nor with vulnerable case identified by the UNHCR. Yet I am called for the interview twice within last one week,’ he said.

Three high-ranking officials of the DHS – William Lowe, Keirn Van and David Radel – are engaged in interviewing the exiled Bhutanese. The DHS team will be in Damak for two weeks taking finals decision on some 5,000 people to be flown in the next few months.

The health check up for these Bhutanese interviewed by the DHS will be done in December after which those receiving confirmations to fly will be given training on language and culture.

Those successful in health check up, the third phase of the process, will not be allowed to return to camps. They will be kept in Damak for orientation and then will be picked up to Kathmandu. Bhutan News Service