Kathmandu, November 16

Director of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’s Asia bureau, Indrika Ratwatte, today paid a courtesy call on Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa.

The meeting held at the home ministry was mainly focused on issues related to Bhutanese refugees, Tibetan refugees and Rohingya.

Home Minister Thapa thanked the UNHCR for its support for the resettlement and rehabilitation of refugees in Nepal and expressed belief that it would continue support to Nepal in days ahead. Stating that resettlement of Bhutanese refugees in third countries had been successful, he said that a way should be found to rehabilitate the remaining 6,500 Bhutanese refugees. Around 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in third countries. The home minister said that the government was serious about resolving the problems of Bhutanese refugees.

Similarly, Director Ratwatte lauded the role played by Nepal in ensuring the rehabilitation of refugees. He said the UNHCR was ready to collaborate with the Government of Nepal for the rehabilitation of remaining Bhutanese refugees.