Latest news with #UN-led
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ejected from US, rejected by Bhutan and Nepal: Himalayan refugees face statelessness
More than two dozen Bhutanese refugees who were forcibly deported from the United States this spring, in a move that stunned resettled communities across America, have found themselves in devastating legal limbo after Bhutan refused to accept them upon arrival. Instead of a homecoming, the deportees were rejected at the border, leaving them stateless and adrift—most now confined once again to refugee camps in Nepal . Nepal has said it cannot grant these refugees legal status and is in negotiations with the US government for a possible solution, but so far, no country has agreed to offer citizenship or permanent refuge. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Public Policy Design Thinking Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence MCA Degree Others Data Science healthcare Leadership CXO Finance Product Management Digital Marketing PGDM Operations Management others Management Data Analytics Data Science MBA Project Management Healthcare Technology Skills you'll gain: Economics for Public Policy Making Quantitative Techniques Public & Project Finance Law, Health & Urban Development Policy Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate Programme in Public Policy Management Starts on Mar 3, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Calcutta Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management Starts on undefined Get Details Who are the refugees? The affected are primarily Lhotshampa , a Nepali-speaking ethnic minority forcibly driven out of Bhutan in the 1990s. Over 100,000 were housed in sprawling camps in eastern Nepal, and beginning in 2007, many resettled in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK as part of a UN-led solution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Smart Indians use these 5 WhatsApp tricks google Learn More Undo Ramesh Sanyasi, 24 was born in the Beldangi refugee camp in Nepal and migrated legally to the United States at age 10, becoming part of Pennsylvania's vibrant Bhutanese resettled community. He worked at an Amazon warehouse, hoping to build a stable future. Everything changed after a night out with friends led to his arrest for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and providing false identification, according to court records. After serving an eight-month sentence, he was abruptly deported in April 2025: first to New Delhi, and then flown to Paro, Bhutan. Live Events Upon arrival in Bhutan, Sanyasi and two others were not welcomed—they were instead transported to the border with India. Bhutanese authorities handed each of them 30,000 Indian rupees (about $350) and arranged for someone to ferry them to Panitanki, a town on the India-Nepal border. There, the deportees paid smugglers to secretly cross the Mechi River back into Nepal, returning to the very refugee camp Ramesh had left more than a decade earlier. 'Life here is tough. I'm living without any identification documents, which makes everything challenging. I can't even withdraw money sent by relatives because I lack proper ID,' he told CNN . 'For now, I'm surviving on money sent from the US, but once that runs out, I don't know what will happen.' Why were they deported? Most, like Sanyasi, were not undocumented but lost their visas due to criminal convictions—sometimes minor, sometimes more severe—under US law. Many completed their sentences before deportation, but once expelled, found themselves returned to countries that neither recognize their citizenship nor accept their return. At least 30 Bhutanese refugees have been deported by the US to Bhutan so far, all legally admitted to the US as children under a UN-led resettlement program. All deportees so far have been expelled again at the Bhutan border, given cash, and left to fend for themselves in India and, for most, eventually smuggled into Nepal. According to Gopal Krishna Siwakoti , president of the International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development, many deportees are in hiding; some in Nepal, some still lost in India. Four deportees have now been threatened with a second deportation—this time from Nepal, where they were arrested for illegally crossing the border. However, Nepal's Department of Immigration admits there is nowhere for them to go: 'We are in a dilemma: the US is unlikely to accept them back, and deporting them to Bhutan is not straightforward either,' said department director Tikaram Dhakal. Life in limbo: The camps of eastern Nepal For those who remain or have returned to the camps, mostly the elderly or infirm, conditions have evolved: electricity and running water are now present in places like Beldangi Camp, but the end of international aid has led to increased vulnerability, exploitation, and fear of detention. Informal work is the norm, but for many, legal protections are non-existent. Political stalemate Efforts for repatriation have repeatedly stalled. Neither Bhutan nor Nepal is party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention , complicating formal policy frameworks. Bhutan continues to resist accepting its former citizens, and recent years have seen the exposure of a fraudulent refugee registration scandal, further eroding trust and muddying advocacy efforts. Diplomatic conversations have inched forward—Nepal announced renewed talks with Bhutan in 2023, but significant progress remains elusive. India, a key regional power, remains a reluctant participant in mediation, and international pressure on Bhutan has waned. Q. What allowed thousands of Bhutanese refugees to move to the United States? Most Bhutanese refugees moved to the US through a UNHCR and IOM-backed Third Country Resettlement Programme launched in 2007. The US first pledged to take up to 60,000 refugees from Nepali camps, later increasing to more than 80,000, the largest single-country intake. Resettlement was based on refugee status and need, not skills, and included other partner countries—over 100,000 Bhutanese were resettled globally by 2015. Q. What is the UN Refugee Convention, and why is it important? The 1951 UN Refugee Convention is a major international treaty that defines refugee rights and the duties of signatory nations. It guarantees non-refoulement (protection from forced return), and the rights to legal status, work, education, and due process. This Convention sets a standard for how refugees are to be protected and integrated by member countries, ensuring basic security and legal recognition. Q. How does Nepal and Bhutan not joining the Convention affect refugees? Because Nepal and Bhutan are not signatories, refugees there lack international legal protections—such as the right to residency, documents, protection from deportation, or legal employment. There's no obligation for local integration or citizenship, keeping refugees in prolonged limbo. Legal rights and policies are governed solely by domestic law, leaving refugees vulnerable to changing policies and without international recourse.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire while queueing for food aid
More than 100 were injured. The shootings occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which launched operations in May. The US and Israel are seeking to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, asserting that Hamas militants siphon off supplies. The UN denies their allegation. While the GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, witnesses say Israeli army fire has killed hundreds of people. As of July 15, the UN said Israelis had killed 674 people looking for food or water. GHF's four sites are in military-controlled zones. They use private military contractors to guard them. The IDF is not at the sites but secures them from a distance, and says it only fires warning shots if crowds get too close to its forces. In a statement, the GHF said there were no incidents at or near its sites and added, 'we have repeatedly warned aid seekers not to travel to our sites overnight and early morning hours'. Most of yesterday's deaths occurred as Palestinians massed together in the Teina area, around 3km from a GHF aid distribution centre near the southern city of Khan Younis. One witness said he was walking with masses of people, mostly young men, toward the hub. Troops fired warning shots, then opened fire. 'The occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately,' he said. Another witness said troops fired machine guns mounted on tanks and drones. He said the shooting happened between 5am and 6am. Another 16 people were killed in IDF strikes in separate incidents yesterday. Another witness there was shooting after the site opened as people seeking aid broke into a run. 'Is this food or death? Why? They don't talk with us, they only shoot us,' she said, and showed off her empty bag. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it received 25 bodies. Seven other people, including one woman, were killed in the Shakoush area, near another GHF hub in Rafah, the hospital said. Gaza's Health Ministry confirmed the toll. Dr. Mohamed Saker, head of Nasser's nursing department, said it received 70 wounded people. He told reporters that most people were shot in the head and chest. 'The situation is difficult and tragic,' he said, adding that the facility lacks medical supplies. Some of the wounded, including a child, were treated on the floor. One boy stood patiently, holding up a blood bag for someone on a stretcher. Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs.
Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
32 killed in Gaza while seeking aid
Israeli troops opened fire Saturday toward crowds of Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs run by a US- and Israeli-backed group in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The shootings occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which launched operations in May. The US and Israel seek to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, asserting that Hamas militants siphon off supplies. The UN denies the allegation. While GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, local health officials and witnesses say Israeli army fire has killed hundreds of people as they try to reach the hubs. GHF's four sites are in military-controlled zones. Israel's army, which isn't at the sites but secures them from a distance, said Saturday that it fired warning shots near Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, after a group of suspects approached troops and ignored calls to keep their distance. It said the incident occurred overnight when the distribution site was closed. GHF said that there were no incidents at or near its sites and added, 'we have repeatedly warned aid seekers not to travel to our sites overnight and early morning hours." Most of Saturday's deaths occurred as Palestinians massed around 3 kilometers from a GHF aid distribution center near the southern city of Khan Younis. Mahmoud Mokeimar said that he was walking with masses of people, mostly young men, toward the hub. Troops fired warning shots, and then opened fire. 'The occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately,' he said. He said that he saw at least three motionless bodies on the ground and many wounded people fleeing. Akram Aker, another witness, said that troops fired machine guns mounted on tanks and drones between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. 'They encircled us and started firing directly at us,' Aker said. He said he saw many casualties on the ground. Sanaa al-Jaberi said that there was shooting after the site opened as people seeking aid broke into a run. 'Is this food or death? Why? They don't talk with us, they only shoot us,' she said, and showed off her empty bag. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that it received 25 bodies. Seven other people, including one woman, were killed in the Shakoush area, hundreds of meters or yards north of another GHF hub in Rafah, the hospital said. Dr. Mohamed Saker, the head of Nasser's nursing department, said that it received 70 wounded people. He told The Associated Press that most people were shot in the head and chest. 'The situation is difficult and tragic,' he said, adding that the facility lacks medical supplies. Some of the wounded, including a child, were treated on the floor. One boy stood patiently, holding up a blood bag for someone on a stretcher. Meanwhile, Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service in northern Gaza, said that two people were killed in Gaza City when an airstrike hit a tent in a camp sheltering displaced families. In central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital said that 12 people were killed in an airstrike including police official Omar Aqel. Two children, including an infant, and five women — all relatives of Aqel — were among the dead. Al-Awda Hospital said that it also received two people killed by an Israeli strike on a group of people in Bureij, and that another strike on a group of people along Salah El Din street in central Gaza killed a child. Another strike on a house in the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan killed at least four people, according to the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. A strike on a cart in Tal al-Hawa in northern Gaza killed another four people, the service said. Israel's Army had no comment on specific strikes, but said that it had struck around 90 targets throughout Gaza over the past day. Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Distribution at GHF sites is often chaotic. Boxes of food are stacked on the ground and crowds surge in to grab whatever they can, according to witnesses and videos released by GHF. Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many militants are among the dead. The ministry, which says more than half of the dead have been women and children, is part of the Hamas government. But the UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. 'After 652 days, it is time to do what is right for Israel: Bring all 50 hostages home and end this war,' Efrat Machikawa, a relative of released hostage Gadi Moses, told the weekly rally in Tel Aviv. Thousands of people later marched to the local branch of the US Embassy to demand a ceasefire deal. In the occupied West Bank, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the Palestinian Christian village, Taybeh, where residents say extremist Israeli settlers set fire to the Church of St. George on July 9. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian who is normally strongly supportive of Israel, condemned the attack. 'To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship — it's an act of terror and it's a crime,' he said. The West Bank has experienced a surge in settler violence since the start of the war in Gaza. Palestinians say Israeli security forces have done little to stop the violence, and few settlers have been punished. (AP)
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
At least 32 killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid in Gaza, hospital says , World News
GAZA - At least 36 people were killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in Gaza at dawn on Saturday (July 19), according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time. Gaza resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began. "We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us," he said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark. "The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site," it said. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. 'No more time' GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a UN-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies. On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza - the majority of them close to GHF distribution points. Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with "lessons learned". At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across Gaza on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in central Gaza and 11 of his family members. The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed around 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins. Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, though there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to still be alive. Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group. "An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war," Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. "My Matan is alone in the tunnels," she said, "He has no more time." [[nid:720297]]
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
‘They don't talk…they only shoot us': 32 Palestinians shot dead while reaching US group's food distribution sites
Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday at crowds of Palestinians attempting to access food from aid distribution centres in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The incident occurred near facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group backed by the US and Israel that began operations in May. The initiative aims to replace the UN-led aid system, which the U.S. and Israel claim is exploited by Hamas, an allegation the UN denies, as reported by AP. While GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, local health officials and witnesses say Israeli army fire has killed hundreds of people as they try to reach the hubs. GHF's four sites are in military-controlled zones, AP reported. GHF said that there were no incidents at or near its sites and added, 'We have repeatedly warned aid seekers not to travel to our sites overnight and early morning hours." Most of the fatalities on Saturday took place about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid center near the southern city of Khan Younis. According to witness Akram Aker, Israeli troops used machine guns mounted on tanks and drones to open fire between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. 'They surrounded us and began shooting directly at us,' Aker said, adding that he saw numerous people lying wounded or dead on the ground, as reported by AP. Sanaa al-Jaberi said that there was shooting after the site opened as people seeking aid broke into a run. 'Is this food or death? Why? They don't talk with us, they only shoot us,' she said, and showed off her empty bag. Gaza's population of over 2 million faces a severe humanitarian crisis. Aid distribution at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites is often disorderly, with food boxes placed on the ground and crowds rushing in to grab supplies, according to witnesses and GHF-released footage. The ongoing 21-month war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Around 50 hostages remain, though fewer than half are believed to be alive. Israel's military response has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. The ministry, run by the Hamas-led government, is still regarded by the U.N. and other international bodies as the most reliable source for casualty figures.
