EXIT PERMIT PROCESS FOR RESETTLEMENT OF BHUTANESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001944

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2017
TAGS: PREF PREL BT IN NP
SUBJECT: EXIT PERMIT PROCESS FOR RESETTLEMENT OF BHUTANESE

REFUGEES NOT YET CLEAR

Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
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1. (C) In meetings with Assistant Secretary for Population,
Refugees, and Migration Sauerbrey October 31, Nepal's Home
and Foreign Ministers expressed receptiveness to streamlining
the exit permit process for Bhutanese refugees, although they
could not state what the new process would be or when it
might be in place. The Ministers repeatedly requested that
Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey put pressure directly on
Bhutan, and via India, to repatriate refugees. The
participants in the meetings were pleased that the recently
established police posts had improved camp security, but
recognized the potential for anti-resettlement activists to
still cause problems.

Request for Expedited Exit Permits
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2. (C) In meetings October 31, Assistant Secretary for
Population, Refugees, and Migration Sauerbrey pointed out to
both Home Minister Sitaula and Foreign Minister Pradhan that,
as the United States begins to process at least 15,000
refugees per year, the current convoluted exit permit process
will quickly bring the program to a halt. Assistant
Secretary Sauerbrey explained that no additional GON

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processing is needed, and that it would be preferable to the
U.S. if the Government of Nepal (GON) simply issues an exit
permit based upon documentation the U.S. provides them.
Sauerbrey offered to both Sitaula and Home Secretary Mainali
to have the U.S. pay to have a Nepali official co-located
with the Overseas Processing Entity in Damak to issue exit
permits. Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey also requested that
the 59 extremely vulnerable individuals (EVIs) whom the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already cleared,
and who have been waiting for their exit permit for months be
processed in time to spend Christmas in the United States.

Receptiveness, but no Promises
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3. (C) While the Nepali Ministers offered to be helpful, none
of them could say when a new procedure would be in place or
what it would entail. They agreed to discuss whether an
official could be deputed to Damak and whether an exit permit
could be issued on the spot. Minister Pradhan offered to
raise the issue of expedited exit permits with Prime Minister
Koirala once the current domestic political impasse is
resolved. She indicated a cabinet decision on exit permits
was probably necessary to implement any change. Both Sitaula
and Pradhan acknowledged the request to process the EVIs, but
made no promises.

Put Pressure on Bhutan, and India...
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4. (C) Home Minister Sitaula, Home Secretary Mainali, and
Foreign Minister Pradhan all repeatedly requested that
Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey put pressure on the Royal
Government of Bhutan (RGOB) to resolve the refugee issue.
While all expressed support for third-country resettlement,
they did not want resettlement to reduce the pressure on
Bhutan to repatriate the refugees. Assistant Secretary
Sauerbrey confirmed that she would continue to press the RGOB
on the issue. Both Ministers expressed concern that Bhutan
was preparing to expel an additional 80,000 ethnic Nepalis
and that pressure from the U.S., and India, could help
prevent that outcome. They also viewed India as having some
responsibility for the current refugee situation since the
refugees transited India on the way to Nepal and India could
exert pressure on the RGOB if it chose to do so. In a
subsequent meeting, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Representative Abraham Abraham suggested that sustaining the
Government of India's current acceptance of the resettlement

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program would be an acceptable outcome, and if India could be
encouraged to take a more active role that would be even
better.

To at Least Accept Repatriation of Minors and Elderly
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5. (C) Abraham and UNHCR Durable Solutions Officer Kim
Roberson hoped that the RGOB would be willing to take back
unaccompanied minors and elderly along with those classified
as legitimate citizens of Bhutan in the camp census.
Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey followed up on the issue of
unaccompanied minors in a meeting later on October 31 with
Jean Paul Corboz of the International Committee of the Red
Cross. Corboz explained that ICRC does not have a presence
in Bhutan and thus would not be able to provide much
assistance. He also feared that if the government learned of
efforts to trace family members of refugees that the RGOB
would expel any family members found.

Questions About Resettlement Program
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6. (C) Both the Home and Foreign Ministers asked whether
families could stay together, who and how many were
ineligible to be resettled, and where and how the refugees
would be resettled. They were pleased to hear that families
would be resettled as a group and interested in Assistant
Secretary Sauerbrey's explanation of how the U.S. side of the

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program functioned. They were understanding that a few
individuals might be deemed ineligible due to criminal
background or security reasons. Minister Pradhan was also
concerned about the cost of the program to refugees,
particularly when other countries offering resettlement
operate programs without charge to the refugees. Assistant
Secretary Sauerbrey's explanation of how the loan repayment

SIPDIS
operates attempted to address her concerns.

Progress in the Camps
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7. (C) All participants in the meetings were pleased that the
recently established police posts had improved camp security,
but recognized the potential for anti-resettlement activists
to still cause problems. Secretary Mainali reported that he
had sent a letter to the Chief District Officer (CDO) in
Jhapa instructing him to accompany Assistant Secretary on her
upcoming visit to the camps. Mainali added that, at the
conclusion of the meeting, he would call the CDO to reinforce
and reiterate that he was to cooperate with the U.S.
delegation.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) While they generally seem sincere in supporting
third-country resettlement, confusion still exists among the
Nepalis about the role and responsibilities of the Home
Ministry versus the Foreign Ministry in the exit permit
process. UNHCR noted to Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey that
it has experienced similar confusion among the ministries and
inability to streamline the process. At a minimum, progress
on exit permits will require consensus between the Home
Ministry and the Ministry of Foregin Affairs. As Minister
Pradhan noted, it may also require involvement and approval
by the Prime Minister and cabinet. Further work needs to be
done to prevent a backlog of cases. Post will continue to
engage the Home Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs with
UNHCR to implement a streamlined exit permit process.


9. Assistant Secretry Sauerbrey cleared this message.
POWELL