Damak, September 2:

Chief of the UNHCR in Nepal, Abraham Abraham, said today that the UNHCR would “try all alternatives for resolving the Bhutanese refugee problem if a request was made by the government for the resolution of the problem.”

Abraham, who arrived in the Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa with officials of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Home today, was speaking at a programme in the Beldangi camp in Jhapa.

Dwelling on third-country settlement of the refugees, Abraham said, “The process of third-country settlement has not begun.”

Saying that no refugees had returned to their country though their verification was done three years ago in the Khudunabari camp in Jhapa, Abraham stressed the need to explore other alternatives for resolving the problem.

“If any refugee wants to go to the third country, he/she could be taken to the third country, provided the host government allows his/her entry,” said Abraham.

Taking note of the criticism of the UNHCR and donor agencies on third-country settlement, Abraham said, “Both the UNHCR and donor agencies are working for the welfare of the refugees.”

“Bhutan, Nepal, India and the international community can play an important role in solving the refugee problem,” said Abraham.

Joint secretary at the MoFA, Dinesh Bhattarai, said, “The government is looking for alternatives to solve the problem by making changes in policies concerning the Bhutanese refugees.”