EU Raises Tibetan Refugee Documentation Issue with Nepal Ahead of Joint Talks
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 19 May: The European External Action Service (EEAS) has urged the government of Nepal to consider issuing Personal Account Number (PAN) cards to undocumented Tibetan refugees, and said the matter will be raised at the next EU–Nepal Joint Commission meeting scheduled for the second half of this year.
According to a letter dated 29 April 2026, the EU Delegation in Nepal, together with the Refugee Core Group (RCG) comprising the EU, United States, United Nations, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Norway, has called on Nepalese authorities to provide PAN cards to Tibetan refugees who lack official identity documents.
The letter said such documentation would serve as a basic form of identification and enable access to banking services and other essential economic activities, describing it as a “lifeline for Tibetan youth and those with limited economic opportunity.”
It also noted that the EU and its partners have urged Nepal to allow Tibetan refugees to “peacefully observe and celebrate important cultural and religious events” within the country.
The correspondence, signed by EU diplomat Charles Whiteley, was addressed to Members of the European Parliament Hannes Heide and Dainius Zalimas, following concerns they raised over the protection of undocumented Tibetans in Nepal.
The letter further states that the matter has been previously raised with the Nepalese authorities, noting that the EU Ambassador in Nepal wrote to Om Prakash Aryal, who at the time served as Minister of Home Affairs of the Interim Government of Nepal, on 17 October 2025.
The EU acknowledged Nepal’s long-standing role in hosting Tibetan refugees for nearly 70 years, while expressing continued concern over the lack of legal documentation available to many in the community.
