Negotiations to resettle refugees have been landlocked for decades between Nepal and Bhutan. Due to increasing pressures, the United Nations began one of the world’s largest resettlement efforts and began working with the U.S., Australia, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, New Zealand and Demark. The U.S. offered to resettle 60,000 refugees with the first members (121 refugees) arriving on March 2008. Thus far, only 25,000 refugees have registered for resettlement.

Unfortunately, moving to the U.S. has created its own myriad of challenges. Families still struggle in finding their place in this new society due to culture shock and lack of cultural support. One of the most common issues cited is self-sufficiency in terms of employment. Naturally, Bhutanese refugees relocated to escape persecution, not to market skills that are supported by the U.S. economy.

Deficiencies in communication skills due to the English language, education and job skills render many refugees noncompetitive in a developed economy currently experiencing a recession and a scarce job market.

Adjusting to this new life for Bhutanese refugees in the U.S. is unsettling. Activities we take for granted as Americans such as shopping, going to the bank or even reading an utility bill require third party assistance to be carried out. Each family that arrives in the U.S. is set-up with an organization and is assigned a case worker. Case workers handle the initial set-up of the family into a residence and provide basic guidance to proceed to the next level. They are also given support in the form of job placement services and medical benefits for the starting months. Despite all of these time bound offerings, a lack of English know-how, illiteracy, up-to-date job skills especially in a volatile job market does not provide the tools to be self-sufficient in the long-term.

It is crucial that they are provided additional support in the transition and assimilation into a new culture and a new life. Does the responsibility fall on to the government that eradicated them, the country that housed them for 20 years or the country that accepted them? Or do we stop putting the blame on governments or institutions or do we just accept people in the name of humanity and help them?

Suruwat, Inc. a non-profit organization © 2009