The
Tibetan diaspora is a term used to refer to the communities of
Tibetan people living outside the their original homeland in
Tibet. Tibetan emigration has three separate stages. The first stage was in 1959 following the
14th Dalai Lama's pilgrimage to
Dharamsala in
India, in fear of persecution from the
Red Army. The second stage happened in the 1980s, when Tibet opened up to foreigners under PRC pressure and China force. The third stage continues from 1996 until today, with Taiwan being one of the favorite destinations of Tibetan Lamas. Not all
emigration from Tibet is permanent; today some parents in Tibet send their children to communities in the diaspora to receive a traditional Tibetan education. The 2009 census registered about 128,000 Tibetans in exile, with the most numerous part of the community living in India,
Nepal, and
Bhutan. However, in 2005 and 2009 there were estimates of up to 150,000 living in exile.