THAILAND - IOM Asian Refugee Resettlement Close to 11,000 in First Four Months of 2010

THAILAND - IOM Asian Refugee Resettlement Close to 11,000 in First Four Months of 2010 - IOM's major Asian refugee resettlement operations in Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal resettled nearly 11,000 refugees in the first four months of 2010 - over 80% of them to new homes in the United States.

Of the total, some 4,550 were Bhutanese from camps in eastern Nepal, 3,900 were Karen and Karenni refugees from Myanmar from camps in northwestern Thailand, and the remaining 2,400 were refugees from Myanmar living in Malaysia.

Over the period, IOM Nepal moved 3,830 Bhutanese refugees accepted for resettlement to the US, 374 to Australia, 239 to Canada, 108 to New Zealand, 7 to the Netherlands and 2 to Denmark.

Almost all them were Bhutanese of Nepali origin, known as Lhotsampas, who have lived in camps in the Jhapa and Morang regions of Nepal for nearly two decades, following Bhutan's decision to revoke their citizenship and expel them in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The latest resettlement movements bring the total number of Lhotsampas resettled to third countries by IOM to over 30,000, since the beginning of the resettlement operation at the end of 2007. Over 70,000 remain in the Nepali camps.

IOM Thailand resettled some 3,900 refugees from Myanmar during the first four months of 2010. Almost all were Karen and Karenni ethnic minorities who had fled to refugee camps across the border in northwestern Thailand to escape conflict.

Of the total, some 3,105 went to the US, 414 to Australia, 234 to Canada, 70 to the Netherlands, 36 to Sweden, 30 to Norway, 10 to Finland, 5 to New Zealand and one each to Finland and the UK.

The movements brought the total number of refugees resettled by IOM Thailand to over 78,000 since the beginning of the Thai resettlement programme in 2004. Of these, over 61,000 came from Myanmar. A further 15,000 were Lao Hmong.

IOM Malaysia resettled some 2,400 refugees in the first four months of 2010. The vast majority were from Myanmar and, of the total, 2,066 went to the US. A further 140 went to Denmark, 128 to Australia, 22 to Canada, 17 to New Zealand, and 3 to Sweden.

The movements brought the total number of refugees resettled from Malaysia by IOM since to beginning of the programme in 2005 to nearly 23,000.

While IOM plays no part in selecting which refugees are accepted for resettlement, its global responsibilities in refugee resettlement include medical screening, pre-departure cultural orientation and travel arrangements.

IOM's 34-year history of refugee resettlement in Asia began in 1975 in the aftermath of the Vietnam war, when it helped nearly half a million Indochinese refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to leave Thailand and start new lives abroad. It works closely with host governments, UNHCR and the governments of resettlement countries.