Consider our wives as ‘refugees’: exiled Bhutanese tell Nepalese home ministry

Beldangi, December 27: Two exiled have urged the Nepalese government’s home ministry to reconsider giving ‘refugee’ status to their wives who are not the Bhutanese citizens taking asylum in Nepal.

In a letter sent to Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula of Nepal on Wednesday, Jas Bahadur Baniya of Beldangi II and Deo Kumar Lohagun of Beldangi II Extension appealed the Nepalese government that they be considered as ‘refugees’.

The appeal claimed that there are over 200 such males in camps who have married either Nepalese or Indian girls.

Baniya and Lohagun, however, did not mention whether their wives are Nepalese or Indians.

The UNHCR has not registered them, subsequently barring them of the facilities being given to other exiled Bhutanese.

They said the UNHCR also excluded their wives in identity card issuance leading to separation in the family during process of finding long term solution of the crisis including repatriation and resettlement to third countries. Bhutan News Service