Bhupalis

Bhupalis are Bhutanese of Nepali origin living as refugees in Jhapa, Nepal without solution to their problem till date.

The term is used by the Indian officials in and around the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal regions. People who once lived in southern Bhutan are now a major chunk of them living in refugee camps of Jhapa, Nepal, reportedly the largest refugee camps maintained by the UNHCR. These people claim themselves as Bhutanese citizens. Agitations for democracy begun in Bhutan in 1990s. In Southern Bhutan settled Bhutanese of Nepali origin had larger presence. Leaders for democracy were from this segment of Bhutanese population. Sensing threat Royal Government of Bhutan swiftly suppressed the movement by imprisoning the leaders and removing most of the settlers from the South. They ended up in refugee camps in Nepal.

The Bhupalis have camps also in Bagrakot, Kalchini, Looksan and Birpara tea gardens in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India.