Protracted Refugee Situations: When the Quality of Mercy Sours

In the case of the Bhutanese refugees one solution—third country resettlement—is very close to being implemented, which will bring a measure of relief to all parties. But implementing the process well depends on maintaining respect for refugees as people rather than clients. HCR staff in Nepal needs to take a symbolic deep breath and remember that refugees are not scam artists but human beings trying to find the best possible future for themselves and their families.

By Joel Charny, Vice President of Refugees International

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