VZCZCXRO6074
PP RUEHCI
DE RUEHKT #3225/01 3490717
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 150717Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4197
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 5402
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0572
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 3401
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4770
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0681
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5139
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA PRIORITY 2924
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1379
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2239

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 003225 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PREF BH NP
SUBJECT: CENSUS OF FIRST BHUTANESE REFUGEE CAMP CONCLUDED 
 
REF: KATHMANDU 2746 
 
Classified By: DCM Nicholas Dean for reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) Durable Solutions Officer Kim Roberson reported on 
December 13 that nearly all Beldangi I camp residents had 
appeared for the census, which was completed December 8. 
UNHCR has identified 120 vulnerable cases, of which only 20 
had expressed interest in, and been referred for, 
resettlement.  Roberson complained about bureaucratic delays 
by the Government of Nepal (GON) in processing cases for 
resettlement.  Rumors abound that local Nepalese citizens are 
buying their way into the census in hopes of being resettled 
abroad.  Previous assumptions that the total census would 
result in a count significantly less than the 107,000 
registered refugees now appear unfounded. 
 
Beldangi I Census -- Total Numbers Higher Than Expected 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The UNHCR census of Beldangi I camp concluded on 
December 8.  After working out the initial kinks in the 
process, UNHCR was able to interview and photograph 1,500 
refugees daily.  According to UNHCR Durable Solutions Officer 
Kim Roberson, the census team took 18,000 photographs of an 
estimated camp population of 16,000 refugees.  Although 
Roberson had not yet determined why more photographs were 
taken than the actual population size, she concluded that 
nearly all Beldangi I camp residents had appeared for the 
census. 
 
Vulnerable Cases for Resettlement 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Roberson reported that, in the course of conducting 
the Beldangi I census, 120 cases were identified as 
vulnerable on the basis of having been victims of 
gender-based violence (including domestic violence) or 
victims of torture in Bhutan.  Of these 120 cases, only 20 
were interested in resettlement, she said.  UNHCR was in the 
process of referring these 20 cases to the GON for 
processing.  She believed, however, that once UNHCR staff had 
reviewed the census data, there would be additional cases, 
such as single-parent households, who could benefit from 
early resettlement. 
 
Bureaucratic Delays Cited 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Roberson complained that the delays by the GON in 
processing resettlement cases far surpassed the usual 
bureaucratic sluggishness and indicated to her either a lack 
of political will or a real reluctance in the Nepalese 
bureaucracy to allow resettlement of Bhutanese refugees. 
Once UNHCR officially recommended a group of refugees for 
resettlement to the Home Ministry, she said, the Home 
Ministry sent the request to the Refugee Coordination Unit 
(RCU) in Jhapa, which forwarded it to the relevant Camp 
Supervisor.  The Camp Supervisor then had to send a letter of 
support for the refugee to the RCU office in Jhapa, which 
then had to do the same to the Home Ministry.  Then the Home 
Ministry had to seek concurrence from the Foreign Ministry. 
According to Roberson, once all GON authorities agreed that 
there were no objections to resettlement for that particular 
refugee, the same process had to be undertaken for issuance 
of a travel document.  Roberson asserted that, with a recent 
group of Bhutanese refugees recommended for resettlement to 
Canada, she had intervened forty times with Home Ministry 
officials in order to complete the process.  (Comment: Home 
Ministry interlocuters have complained of Roberson's repeated 
interventions.  Perhaps her failure to acknowledge GON 
sovereignty on resettlement issues has contributed to 
bureacratic delays.  Having said that, streamlining the 
bureacratic process will be necessary before intitiating a 
 
KATHMANDU 00003225  002 OF 002 
 
 
large-scale resettlement program.  End Comment.) 
 
Local Nepalese Buying Their Way In? 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Rumors are circulating that, with the prospect of 
third-country resettlement, local Nepalese citizens are 
paying refugees for inclusion in the census in place of 
missing relatives.  When asked about this possibility, 
Roberson shrugged slightly noting that, without prior photo 
identification of the refugees, there was no sure way to 
prevent substitution from occurring.  Roberson observed that 
the census team had been asking specific questions intended 
to verify family relationships, but that some could have 
slipped through the process.  RefCoord suggested that UNHCR 
revisit its census procedures to see how it might better 
identify possible substitutions. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) Many members of the international community, including 
UNHCR, had been operating under the assumption that, due to 
outward migration, the census would result in a smaller 
refugee population than the 107,000 currently registered.  If 
the results from the Beldangi I census are representative of 
the total Bhutanese refugee population, this assumption 
appears unfounded.  The possibility exists that poor local 
Nepalese are buying their way into the camps, but the numbers 
are likely low.  Refugees are not likely to risk their chance 
for resettlement by committing fraud in exchange for a few 
rupees.  The absence of a comprehensive GON resettlement 
policy may contribute to bureaucratic delays in processing 
vulnerable cases.  However, Roberson's poor personal 
relationship with Home Ministry officials (reftel) also 
appears to be a factor.  Post will continue to seek 
additional information from UNHCR regarding possible 
third-country resettlement of vulnerable Bhutanese refugees. 
MORIARTY