The Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) is deeply alarmed by the forced deportation of ten Bhutanese refugees from the United States, leading to renewed statelessness and a humanitarian crisis.

These individuals, originally evicted from Bhutan in the 1990s, had been legally resettled in the U.S. under the UNHCR resettlement program. Despite this, they were forcibly removed and sent to Bhutan, arriving at Paro Airport on March 27, 2025.

Rather than allowing them to remain, Bhutanese authorities expelled them to India, where they were left without any legal status or support. Indian security forces then transferred them to the Nepal-India border at Panitanki.

Three of them—Roshan Tamang, Asish Subedi, and Santosh Dar-ji—were apprehended by Nepalese authorities after reaching the Bhutanese refugee camp in Bel-dangi for illegally entering Nepal without legal documents.

Their fate remains uncertain as they now face potential deportation back to India. The whereabouts of the remaining seven deportees remain unknown, raising serious concerns over their safety and well-being.

This incident highlights a blatant violation of international refugee protections and the principle of non-refoulement. These former refugees, once victims of Bhutan’s ethnic cleansing policies, are now being retraumatized and rendered stateless once again.

GCRPPB strongly condemns the actions of the Bhutanese and Indian authorities, whose coordi-nated efforts have placed these individuals in an unprecedented legal limbo. Their fundamental rights to asylum, protection, and legal status have been denied, exposing them to further risks of detention and abuse.

We urgently call upon:

The Government of Nepal to refrain from deporting these individuals back to Panitanki. Instead, Nepal must coordinate with the U.S and Indian embassies in Kathmandu and call on Bhutan to ac-cept and resettle them.

The Government of Bhutan to immediately accept them back, take responsibility for these indi-viduals, grant them rightful legal status, and cease discriminatory actions against them.

The Governments of India and Nepal to provide legal clarity, temporary humanitarian protection, and ensure access to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for these indi-viduals.
The Government of the United States to immediately halt the deportation of legally resettled Bhutanese refugees and allow them to face legal proceedings in the U.S. if they have committed any crime or violated U.S. laws.

The UNHCR and international human rights organizations to intervene immediately, investi-gate these violations, and provide urgent humanitarian assistance.

GCRPPB has already contacted major international bodies such as the European Union, UN Human Rights Council, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and other important institutions, seeking their immediate attention on this issue.

It also requests human rights and civil society leaders in Nepal to press the Nepalese government to coordinate with the U.S. and Indian embassies in Kathmandu to resolve this issue amicably and to prevent Bhutan from dumping its unwanted citizens in Nepal once and for all.

The Global Campaign for the Rights of the People of Bhutan remains committed to advocating for justice, dignity, and legal protections for all displaced Bhutanese refugees beside continuing its advocacy for the safe and timely release of all the Bhutanese political prisoners and rehabilitate them.

Above all, we continue our unwavering advocacy for the safe and timely release of all Bhutanese political prisoners, striving for their rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.

Ram Karki
Founder and Global Coordinator
Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB)
www.gcrppb.org
ram.karki@gcrppb.org