Tibetan Information Office (TIO) is based in Canberra.

Clarification: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Response to a Question about Refugees

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses members of the press in Malmö, Sweden on September 12, 2018. Photo/ Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

Dharamsala: The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has issued a clarification on certain misguided reporting of His Holiness’ views on refugees during his recent visit to Malmo, Sweden.

“Recent reporting of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s views on refugees has been taken out of context,” the Office said.

“Kindly see His Holiness’s response to a question about refugees during his public talk in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 16 September 2018.

His Holiness’ response:

“When refugees from other countries have come to Europe, it’s wonderful that Germany and other European countries have given them help. However, I think that most of those refugees think of their own lands as home, but just now there is lots of killing, bullying and suffering there. That’s why they escaped. So, in the short term, European countries should provide them with shelter, and should particularly provide children with facilities for education and training, including mechanical training, for the young people. The aim is that they should eventually be able to return to rebuild their own countries. That has been my view right from the beginning.

“For example, we Tibetans took shelter in India, but most Tibetans want to return to Tibet when the situation there has changed. Each country has its own culture, language, way of life, and it is better for people to live in their own country. That is my view.”

Video of the question and His Holiness’s answer can be viewed a here.