IOM helps resettle over 17,000 refugees in 2009 from Thailand

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 19:28 Usa Pichai

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Over 17,000 refugees from Thailand were resettled in a third country in 2009 with support from the International Organization for Migration.

The IOM in a press release on Tuesday said that since 2004, the total number of refugees shifted from Thailand’s refugee camps to new homes abroad, accounted for over 74,000. The majority of the refugees over 57,000 or nearly 80 per cent came from Burma, and belonged to the Karen and Karenni ethnic groups.

A further 15,000 were ethnic Hmong from the Lao PDR. However, the recent action of the Thai government, which repatriated thousands of ethnic Hmong to Lao, has drawn severe criticism from the international community saying that it may force them to an unsafe situation in their country of origin.

“Over 80 per cent of the 74,000 refugees were resettled in the USA, with the rest accepted by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,” the statement said.

In 2009, 6,800 or nearly 40 per cent of the resettled refugees came from Ban Mae Nai Soi – a camp located in the north west of the country in Mae Hong Son province, while 3,400 came from Mae La camp, in Thasongyang district of Tak province.

“The rest were resettled from seven other remote border camps located close to Thailand's mountainous jungle border with Myanmar. All but about 300 of the 17,074 refugees moved by IOM Thailand in 2009 came from Myanmar, “the statement added.

The group arranges for preparation for refugees including pre-departure health screening at the request of countries of resettlement. If it is found that they are suffering from a contagious disease, treatment is provided until they are fit to travel.

After which, IOM transports refugees by bus from the camps to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and arranges their onward travel on commercial flights to their final destinations in countries of resettlement.

In the latest development, Japan has decided to accept 30 Burmese refugees languishing in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Japan will be the first Asian country to accept Burmese refugees for resettlement.

The pilot project will start early this year. Besides, it is also a sign of a policy shift by the Japanese government, which rarely allows refugees to be resettled in their country. Besides, the Japanese government will continue providing assistance in language lessons and professional training to enable the refugees to start a new life.

However, migration from Burma to Thailand has continued due to clashes between the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups near the border, particularly in Karen and Shan States.