NEPAL: THREE VULNERABLE BHUTANESE REFUGEES LEAVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002597 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016 TAGS: PREF CVIS CA BT NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: THREE VULNERABLE BHUTANESE REFUGEES LEAVING SEPTEMBER 26 REF: SECSTATE 156817 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). (C) Three out of the 16 minor Bhutanese refugees from Nepal who the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights-Nepal (UNHCR) classified as vulnerable will leave Nepal on the afternoon of September 26 for the United States. The three refugees will be accompanied to the U.S. by representatives from the International Organization for Migration. Post and UNHCR has been working with the Government of Nepal (GON) for over a year to obtain travel documents for these vulnerable refugees to leave Nepal. The Foreign Ministry, on the advice of the Home Ministry, finally issued the necessary documents on September 25. Immediately after the GON issued the documents to the refugees, the Consular Section issued transportation packets for them, allowing them safe entry into the United States. Kimberly Roberson, protection officer at UNHCR, said that the other 13 cases (going to Canada) were not yet ready for processing by the Canadians due to pending medical clearances. Roberson stated that she did not foresee any problems when it came time for travel documents to be issued to the other 13. MORIARTY