According to the information posted on Bhutanese Refugees: The Story of a Forgotten People,

"Since 1991 over one sixth of Bhutan's peoples have sought asylum in Nepal, India and other countries around the world. Over 105,000 Bhutanese have spent up to 15 years living in refugee camps established in Nepal by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Thousands more are living outside the camps in Nepal and India, and some in North America, Europe and Australia.” 

Once completed, this will be one of the largest resettlement efforts ever, so it is surprising to many that few Americans have even heard of the plight of the Bhutanese or even know where they are destined when they leave their native Bhutan.

In October 2006 (Human Rights Watch, 2007) the United States offered to resettle 60,000 of the Bhutanese refugees within it’s borders and six other nations are in the process of doing the same.  The countries that are participating in the resettlement project are (CNN.com/asia, 2008):

1. United States – 60,000 to be settled across the country including the states of New York, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Arizona and Maryland.
2. Australia- 10,000
3. Canada – 10,000
4. Norway – 10,000
5. Netherlands – 10,000
6. New Zealand – 10,000
7. Denmark – 10,000

Bhutanese refugees come to Houston

Of the thousands of people who have been granted asylum in North America and in Texas, many of them have come to Houston, a city of great ethnic diversity.  Refugees arrive from the refugee camps with only a small bag of personal possessions and considering the fact that many have lived for 17 years in a confined environment, it is understandable that they lack the skills necessary to begin a new life in the 4^th largest city in the United States. 

SEWA International USA is one of several organizations committed to helping this group of displaced people adapt to an urban environment and become self-sustaining and independent people.  The main groups that are concerned with Bhutanese Refugee Resettlement are Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston , YMCA  of Greater Houston Refugee Resettlement Program and The Alliance for Multicultural Community Services. 

According to Alliance[1], the objectives of their resettlement program are:

1. To promote early self-sufficiency and cultural adjustment among newly arrived refugees.
2. To provide initial “Core” services such as airport pick-up, housing and safety orientation, transportation assistance, home furnishings, clothing, food, medical and employment referrals, school enrollment, community orientation, sponsorship of relatives overseas, assistance with applications for Social Security, Food Stamps and Medicaid.

After a period of time of course, assistance comes to an end and refugees are expected to be self-sustaining.  Understandably one of the major concerns of new families is to find jobs and earn the money that is necessary to live once their support has been removed. There are over 600 Bhutanese people currently living in Houston and for the most part they have been settled in Apartment communities in the Southwest part of the city.

As members of a close and independent community of people, the Bhutanese refugees living in Houston seek ASSISTANCE, not SUPPORT.  They are a hard-working people who desire above all else a new life where they can be contributing and self-supporting members of society as soon as they are able. 

LOAVES&Fishes is therefore committed to helping the Bhutanese meld themselves into American society.  We offer an helping hand in the manner of Christian compassion, to provide some of the necessities of life to people who have endured decades of struggle and deprivation.