Bhutan’s kingdom is one of the smallest, most comfortable countries in the world. It is known for its comfort and natural beauty. Many border residents are familiar with the country because of its historical relations with the University of Texas in El Paso.
Most of the institute’s buildings reflect the Bhutani architecture, and campus visitors will find examples of cultural samples and tapestries that were gifts from the kingdom. Many at the university, if not most, then Bhutani has also been admitted to the citizens who hold a higher education degree in the United States.
This may change because the Trump administration can add it to the list of countries whose residents are banned or prevented from going to the United States. Reason: According to the US government: “National Security concerns” and “irregular migrants”. This indicates a 37 % increase in visa excesses by Bhutani citizens over the past year.
A Bhutan resident who has recently graduated from the UTEP and continues his education in the northeast, said he was deeply concerned that his country was part of the US list for travel restrictions or sanctions. The woman agreed to comment, but requested not to disclose her name because of the subject’s sensitivity.
“This situation has been incredibly painful, not only for me but for many people in my community who came to the United States to achieve better opportunities,” he said. “Like many Bhutani immigrants, I have invested significant in my education with the hope of a steady future. However, the current situation leaves me uncertain about whether I will ever have the opportunity to fulfill this dream.”
The UTEP graduate, who has not gone to Bhutan in many years, said that if the draft list becomes real, he and his friends will have serious concerns about traveling to their homeland. He planned a visa interview in India to facilitate his return, but canceled these projects due to uncertainty around the visa approval.
According to the New York Times, US embassies, security experts and regional bureau officials of the Department of State continue to review the memo of the draft, which reported the first story. Indian Financial News Channel CNBC TV 18 reported that Bhutan’s Foreign Ministry has requested a review of his country’s involvement in the list.
If a country with a population of about 800 800,000 is on the list of Bhutan travel ban/ban, it will create a serious challenge for its residents who enroll in UTEP and other US institutions.
Representatives of the UTEP Office for International Programs, Dean of Students Office, Marketing and Communications and Bhutani Student Association did not answer questions about the situation. Bhutan’s permanent mission to comment to the United Nations has not been withdrawn.
Kishore Panthi, an investigative journalist in New York, who covers politics, social issues and immigration, said that Bhutani college students who are already in the United States do not want to travel home because they can be refused again. For those who have worked to enroll in an American institution, travel ban can mean years of preparation, financial investment and a long -lasting dream.
“A ban will completely stop their access to higher education opportunities in the United States,” said Pathi, a country from Nepal, in the west of Bhutan. “If this policy has been linked to diplomatic issues, such as Bhutan’s position on accepting people who deports from the United States, punishing students for broader political decisions would be deep injustice.”
Pathi added that even in normal circumstances, it is complicated for a Bhutani citizen to obtain a visa for American students (F-1, M-1 or J-1). He explained that students would have to travel to India for visa processing due to lack of US embassy in Bhutan.
According to the US grade website, the State Department approved 317 F-1 visas for Bhutan students from FY2022 since fiscal year 2018. The largest number was 87 in 2022 and was less than 14 in 2020 during pandemic disease.
Most of the Bhutani students attend Texas or New York colleges and universities, Panthi said. An executive summary of Bhutani students abroad reported that by June 2020, 93 students from the country’s college studied in US higher education institutions.
While UTEP did not provide the current number of Bhutani students enrolled in the campus on November 2024 Article The cooperation between the university and the Bhutani scientists has been reported that it has registered about 60 60 students of Bhutanese.
The US Department of State denied the report on Monday due to concerns raised by the New York Times’ March 14 story, which was raised by foreign and domestic media, but added that the department continued security reviews.
According to the Times story, more than 40 countries were included in the draft lists under three different levels: red, orange and yellow. Media reports say Bhutan was in red and yellow lists.
The Red Terre, which means is a total ban, I included Iran, Libya, Syria, North Korea and Afghanistan. The orange level means limited travel, limited admission after interview and only a short -term non -refugee visa is allowed. The level included Haiti, Russia and Pakistan. The yellow level included Belarus, Pakistan and several Caribbean countries. These entries will have 60 days to address the administration’s concerns, otherwise they can be reached high.
President Trump issued an executive order on January 20 that requires several offices, agencies and departments to include the Homeland Security Department to identify these countries from these countries to identify the partial or complete suspension of citizens. The report was scheduled for 60 days, which was Friday, March 21.
According to the DHS Entry/Exit Overstay report, 180 non -migrant students and exchange visitors who came from Bhutan in FY 2023 or came to the United States via sea, according to the DHS Entry/Exit Overseas report: Congress reports the FY 2023. This is about 27 %. Ovestage occurs when someone lives in a longer country than a visa period.
Bhutan, also a Buddhist and Hindu country, also known as the “Thunder Dragon’s Land”, is about 15,000 square miles or twice the size of New Jersey. Located between China and India, this country is known for the philosophy of “overall national happiness”, which emphasizes people’s social, physical, spiritual and material needs rather than financial needs.
UTEP’s relationship with Bhutan began in 1917 when Kathleen Verrell, wife of the Dean of the State School of Mines and Metallurgei, UTEP, persuaded her husband that she was built on the new campus of the Himalayan College College, or building a new campus. Most of the original campus, which was nowadays, was a fire in October 1916.
In an article in 1914 of the National Geographic, Verille saw photos of the buildings titled “Air in the Year: Unknown Bhutan, titled experiments and travels in Bhutan.” He said that the Franklin mountains reminded him of the Himalayas. The architectural style includes the black bands of brick with slowly slopes, high -income windows, anticipated roof and mosaic tiles.
In the late 1960s, the editor of the University Magazine, Nova, launched a correspondence with the Queen of Bhutan, where he used UTEP’s Bhutani architecture, according to Texas Highways 2019 article. The first Bhutani student enrolled in the institution a few years later and graduated in 1978.
