NEPAL ISSUES EXIT PERMITS TO TRANSITING TIBETAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001629 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2016 TAGS: PREF NP SUBJECT: NEPAL ISSUES EXIT PERMITS TO TRANSITING TIBETAN REFUGEES REF: 05 KATHMANDU 2633 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Douglas DiSalvo, Associate Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR),reported to Emboff that, on June 16, the Nepal Department of Immigration (DOI) had requested a list from UNHCR of Tibetan refugees at the Tibetan Reception Center (TRC) who needed exit permits to leave Nepal. The DOI accepted the list on June 19 and issued exit permits for all 40 transiting refugees listed. According to UNHCR, the refugees left Kathmandu on June 19 and safely crossed the border into India on June 20. This is the first batch of refugees to receive exit permits since the Government of Nepal (GON) stopped issuing exit permits in November 2005 (Reftel). ¶2. (C) DiSalvo stated that, as of June 21, there were 109 refugees at the TRC. He expected that number to decline to nearly zero in the coming week. (Note: There are a few refugees undergoing medical treatment at the TRC who will not be able to travel immediately. End note.) DiSalvo reported that he expected low numbers of transiting refugees during July and August with numbers climbing substantially in September. DiSalvo projected that the new building at the TRC would be done by September and would allow the TRC to house 230 additional transiting refugees. MORIARTY