Bhutanese Resettlement
on Bribie Island, Australia
Lhotsampas-displaced people-victims of a forced migration and nearly two decades of exile in UN Refugee Camps, now being resettled by several western counties.
Introduction
Not a lot is known about the unfortunate group of over 110,000 people, displaced from Bhutan in the early nineties because of their ethnicity and culture. They are mostly Hindus of Nepalese origin, (known in Bhutan as Lhotsampas) but Nepal will not accept them and Bhutan won't repatriate them.
After up to 17 years in camps (mud floored, bamboo walled and thatched roofed huts) Nepal has finally agreed to let these people seek resettlement in third countries. Australia has offered to take 5,000, USA 60,000. New Zealand, Canada, Holland, Norway and Denmark are also taking 5,000 and the UK has recently offered to resettle some also.
The latest resettlement movements bring the total number of Lhotsampas resettled to third countries by IOM to over 30,000, since the beginning of the resettlement operation at the end of 2007. Over 70,000 remain in 7 UN camps in a remote area of south eastern Nepal.
The largest group to be resettled by Australia is living in South Australia, around Adelaide. There are smaller groups in Tasmania, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and North Brisbane (Bribie Island).
We have been personally sponsoring a child of one of these families for nearly 10 years. They were accepted for resettlement in Australia and of course we wanted them to be close to us so we can assist them in practical ways. This was granted. They arrived in December 2010 and this is now a reality. This was the first family to settle in the Brisbane area. Learn more... They were joined by 3 other related families in 2010 and two more families are arriving in 2011. Another small cluster of families has begun in another part of North Brisbane. In March 2011 the Bhutanese Australian Association of Queensland was started on Bribie Island.
There is a lot of community support group on Bribie for these families, offering them support, friendship, outings, conversation and assistance to settle in and integrate successfully.
If anyone is interested in this project please phone Miriam 3410 1071
The First Family- the Bista Family
The Bista family, a family of 2 adults and 2 adult children arrived in Brisbane in December 2008 for resettlement in Woorim.
Learn More...
This is their Dream
For 16 years the Bista family dreamed of returning to their beloved Bhutan. Many times their hopes were raised only to be dashed again.
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