Nepal is home to refugees from Tibet and Bhutan. But what is less known is that the country also houses hundreds of urban refugees from Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan and other countries.
Paul from Congo who was too afraid of being photographed. He was trafficked to Nepal and now lives there as an illegal refugee.
Nepal is home to refugees from Tibet and Bhutan. But what is less known is that the country also houses hundreds of urban refugees from Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan and other countries. Some of the urban refugees are victims of human trafficking.
Nepal is not a signatory of the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees that ensures the legal status and economic rights of refugees and has has requested that the UNHCR do not recognize additional cases of urban refugees within its borders in an effort to prevent Nepal from becoming a safe haven for illegal immigrants. Nepal imposes a daily penalty fee on each illegal refugee, which makes it difficult for refugees approved for third country resettlement to leave the country. [Official Website]
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Paul and his two sons, who live in Congo.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Refugee from the Amadiyaa community in Pakistan living in Kathmandu.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Family from Somalia living as illegal refugees in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Woman from Sri Lanka who lives with her three children as illegal refugees in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her husband is imprisoned at the Galle prison in Sri Lanka. The story cannot be told here due to security concerns for the family.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Ali from Iraq who had to flee his country. Ali worked as a translator for the Americans, and the local Islamic leader issued a Death Fatwa on him. His wife and three children were murdered by one of the political parties in Iraq. Ali has lived for several years as an illegal refugee in Kathmandu.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Young mother with her baby. They belong to the Rohingya commnity in Mynamar and live as illegal refugees in Kathmandu.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Burmese refugees from the Christian Chin community in Myanmar.
Belonging to Nowhere / Jan Møller Hansen / Rohingya refugee from Myanmar.
Jan Møller Hansen / Burmese refugees in Kathmandu on their way to the United States of America.
