Outrage against fake Bhutanese refugee scam in Nepal

People in Nepal have taken to the streets against the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. In this scam, 875 Nepalese citizens were swindled out of millions of rupees by a group of racketeers, including top officials of the government and even former ministers, on the false promise of taking them to the United States (US) as Bhutanese refugees. This level of corruption has outraged the society. Along with the common Nepalese people, even the US and the United Nations (UN) are highly concerned about the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. It is largely believed that the US is exerting pressure on the Government of Nepal to thoroughly investigate the case. There are speculations that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is involved in the investigation since the US has allowed a large number of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal to seek asylum.

875 Nepalese citizens were swindled out of millions of rupees by a group of racketeers, including top officials of the government and even former ministers, on the false promise of taking them to the United States (US) as Bhutanese refugees.

However, Prime Minister Dahal has stated, “I do not think the FBI is directly involved in probing the fake Bhutanese refugee scam or is trying to influence it. But they must have shown their concerns and I think they must be watching.” He further said that he has directed the Home Ministry as well as the Nepal Police to go ahead with the investigation process so that the guilty are not spared and the innocent implicated.

Historical context

Between 1990–1993, many Nepali-speaking Bhutanese were expelled from their land by the Bhutan government. Following this event, they entered Nepal and were made to settle in different camps in the eastern part of the country. Later, they lost all hope of returning to Bhutan. So, under the third-country resettlement plan from 2007 onwards, about 95 percent of the total 120,000 Bhutanese refugees were made to settle in eight different countries, including the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The US alone took 75 percent (90,000) of the refugees. But after the closure of the third-country resettlement process in 2016 by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), 5 percent (6,000) of the total Bhutanese refugees continued to remain in the camps. Many Bhutanese refugees stayed in Nepal partly due to their old age and partly due to documentation-related issues. Some of them also refused to go to the US or other countries as they believed that they might be able to return to their homeland, Bhutan, at some point in the future. There were also quite a few refugees who could not go due to criminal records.

Under the third-country resettlement plan from 2007 onwards, about 95 percent of the total 120,000 Bhutanese refugees were made to settle in eight different countries, including the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Now, those Bhutanese refugees who are still in eastern Nepal are lamenting that politicians and bureaucrats are trying to profit from their miseries. Following the completion of the third-country settlement programme in 2016, all those left in the refugee camps are not receiving any aid in cash or kind from international agencies like the World Food Programme, UNHCR, or other humanitarian agencies. To make a living, they have no other way but to work as wage workers. A few get financial support from their kith and kin living abroad, but the others are struggling to survive.

The refugee scam

Realising the seriousness of the situation, Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, stated that the government is determined to crack down on the nexus involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. He categorically mentioned that the scam that occurred was not merely a case of corruption, but an organised crime against the State. In the meantime, the UNHCR has welcomed the government’s move to investigate the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. But, former Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition party, the CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli, has accused the government authorities of protecting the guilty while implicating innocent people in its investigation. Besides, the CPN-UML also wanted the government to probe the other corruption scandals in the country, such as the one associated with the embezzlement of millions of rupees by Maoist fighters in the past.

Former Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition party, the CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli, has accused the government authorities of protecting the guilty while implicating innocent people in its investigation.

During the investigation of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by the Nepal Police, 16 high-profile persons have been arrested, including the former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand; CPN-UML Secretary and former Deputy Prime Minister, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi; former Home Secretary, Tek Narayan Pandey; Nepali Congress leader and lawmaker, Angtawa Sherpa; Bhutanese human rights activist and a well-known democratic leader of Bhutanese refugees, Tek Nath Rijal; and Nepal Haj Committee Chairman, Shamsher Miya. Also, warrants have been issued for nine more people. The Nepal Police is likely to file cases against the accused under the Organised Crime Act-2013. Even though the government appears to be determined to break the nexus of corruption and crime by investigating  the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, there is a grain of suspicion in certain quarters around whether the government would be able to punish the culprits. But, considering the mounting pressure from civil society members and the common people in Nepal, apart from the international community, it will not be that easy for the government to overlook the scam. The credibility of Prime Minister Dahal would further increase if he was able to bring the real culprits to justice and punish them as per the law of the land.

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Hari Bansh Jha is a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.

• Neighbourhood
• India
• Neighbourhood
• Nepal
• Bhutanese refugees
• Criminal records
• Fake Bhutanese
• Government officials
• Nepal
• Nepal Police
• refugee scam

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