Exile
Thousands of Southern Bhutanese were forced to flee their country into India.
For Political reasons India wanted no part in the problem and herded these people onto trucks and drove them into Nepal.
Nepal, a poor country, was unable
to accept them, consequently the
UNHCR set up 7 camps for them
in SE Nepal, where they have
languished for 17 years, with no resolution to their plight.
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Refugee Camps
Around 140,000 Bhutanese people were forced into exile as refugees in Nepal and India.
This figure is equal to one-sixth of the total population of Bhutan.
Around 110,000 of these refugees are living in UNHCR supervised camps in Jhapa and Morong districts of eastern Nepal since 1991.
Approximately 30,000 others are living (illegally) outside the camps in Nepal and India.
Construction of the camps.
Seven camps were set up, each containing about 12,000 people.