New Refugees Continue To Arrive from Tibet

As a result of continuing human rights abuses, harsh repression of religion, speech and movement, and increasing economic marginalization in Tibet, approximately 3,200 Tibetans escape over the Himalayas each year to seek refuge in Nepal and India.  Most come during the winter months when travel is hazardous but somewhat safer because the high mountain passes are less likely to be patrolled by guards.  Even so, there have been recent incidents in which Tibetan refugees, including young children, have been fired upon by Chinese Border Security soldiers.  In 2006, a nun was killed and many were captured and imprisoned.  In addition to the hazards of travel, refugees face sexual and physical abuse, as well as harassment and extortion at the hands of border guards. 

The refugees arrive in very poor health, psychologically traumatized, and lacking the most basic necessities to rebuild their lives.  The continued influx of new refugees is placing a tremendous burden on the exile community, which has been struggling for 48 years to build a sustainable future with very limited resources in one of the world’s poorest countries.

The care and rehabilitation of new refugees is an ongoing priority for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala. The US State Department's Humanitarian Assistance Grant, administered by the Tibet Fund, assists the CTA by providing funds for reception centers for new refugees in Kathmandu, Nepal, and New Delhi and Dharamsala in India.