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Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

IOM cancels flights; US govt cites ‘revision in screening procs’ as reason

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:57 AM PST

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has cancelled regular flights of resettling refugees to Kathmandu from Friday as it returned dozens of refugees from its Damak office this morning.

The US Government has said, the decision was taken since it is revising screening procedures. Its Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed of “temporary hold” on resettlement worldwide.

“Due to a revision of screening procedures the U.S. government has placed many cases worldwide on hold,” Nepalnews.com reported quoting the embassy officials today.

According to the Embassy, the policy applies globally and not just to “Bhutanese refugees”. However, it also mentioned that “this is not an indication of any problem with the case and we hope to resolve the holds as quickly as possible so that refugees can travel to the U.S.”

Our correspondents from camps reported that refugees were taken back immediately after they reached IOM office Damak. However, they were not informed of the clear reason about return to camps.

Three stars of resettlement : From left, chief of IOM at Damak David Derthick, US Envoy to Nepal Scott H DeLisi and UNHCR Nepal's representative Stephane Jaquemet/Vidhyapati Mishra

Escorted by Armed Police Force, those who had to return to camps looked very sad to opt such a decision at the eleventh hour as most of their huts were dismantled as soon as they left the camps early this morning.

“The camp has become panic since people fear that the resettlement has come to a complete halt,” a refugee from Beldani-II, who requested not to be named, told Bhutan News Service over telephone.

According to him, the returnees were forced to take shelter in their friends and relatives.

Meanwhile, officials of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in camps have assured resumption of ration and other facilities to the returnees through emergency measures.