Author Identifier
Sonam Pelden: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3224-0212
Pelden Chejor: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6713-7421
Document Type
Report
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
School
School of Arts and Humanities / School of Education / Centre for Research in Aged Care
RAS ID
60326
Funders
Association of the Bhutanese in Perth
Abstract
Bhutanese migrants in Perth have increased manifold in the last decade with numbers estimated at around 12000 in 2022. Almost ninety-nine per cent of these Bhutanese migrants come on student visas. Research has indicated that migration move is typically driven by hope and a search for better futures. Consequently, there is an increase in the community activities and complexities experienced by the Bhutanese migrants in Perth as they seek to build a new home in a new country. There is little information about the needs of Bhutanese migrants in Australia other than the literature on Bhutanese refugees in Australia. Thus, exploring and understanding the needs of Bhutanese migrants who predominately arrive in Perth on international student visas is pressing. Although, there is no current research evidence to show the challenges faced by Bhutanese migrants who come to Perth on international student visas, several reports of student deaths caused by accidents and mental health conditions can be found on the internet. In 2019, the community was shocked by the death of a young male by suicide. Furthermore, the executives of ABPI who are entrusted to look after the welfare of Bhutanese in Perth have constantly shared about the need to respond to domestic conflicts, critical sickness, death, fights, and violence amongst the young Bhutanese migrants in Perth. Informal community talks and rumours about family separation, mental health conditions of children and increased drug and alcohol use by Bhutanese migrants can be noted during community gatherings.
DOI
10.25958/jvr7-6d43
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Arts and Humanities Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, International and Area Studies Commons
Comments
Pelden, S., Wangchuk, S., Rinzin, T., Chejor, P. & Tshering, D. (2022). Understanding the needs of migrants from Bhutan in Perth. Edith Cowan University.