For regular readers of RRW, there isn’t a lot new in the article about large numbers of Bhutanese (ethnic Nepalese) going to Canada and the US (other western countries too), but I specifically wanted you to see the clever photograph at the top of the story published here in the Gorkhatimes (original story from the Globe and Mail). I don’t know if someone was thinking ahead and set this pair of photos up this way, or are they cleverly photo-shopped?
The family depicted here is going to British Columbia.
Seven Western countries agreed to accept the Bhutanese after years of talks between Bhutan and Nepal ended in stalemate. Most – about 60,000 – will go to the United States. Many of the Kattels’ friends and relatives have plane tickets to places like Dallas, Salt Lake City and Phoenix. Mr. Kattel wishes more of his friends were going to B.C.
In Canada, the Bhutanese are to be settled in nearly 30 communities from Newfoundland to B.C. Eventually, about 900 refugees – including the Kattels – will move to Coquitlam, just outside Vancouver.
It’s a daunting prospect for the suburban community, and for the country as a whole.
Nine hundred Bhutanese are scheduled to go to a suburb of Vancouver—Coquitlam. I found this paragraph interesting because apparently Canada does what I have recommended we do—hold community meetings well in advance of refugees arrival and line up host families.
In fact, city officials, community groups and residents in Coquitlam have laid out the welcome mat for the refugees from a little-known land. The local school board and the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. have set up a summer camp for the kids to polish their English and learn basic computer skills. Host families have come forward to help the refugees with basic tasks such as shopping and learning transit routes. Community meetings held in the spring to discuss the refugees’ arrival were overflowing.
Here is a webpage from the Canadian government’s Immigration department (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) spelling out very thoroughly what the plans are for Bhutanese going to Canada and a status report on how many have arrived, etc. I don’t think the US government has any website that is as clear as this one in Canada.
For all of our government readers, please let us know if there is a US government website comparable to this one! It is your chance to disprove my contention that refugee resettlement is done as secretly as possible here.
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