Letter from UNHCR on Burmese refugees in Thailand

I receive insider updates from UNHCR (United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees and Internally Displased Persons), and the one I received
today was on Burmese Refugees so I thought I would share it.

At the crossroads of conflict and human rights, UNHCR is on the scene. Here is your Insider Update:

10,000 refugees leave Thailand in biggest resettlement program

Dear Friend of Refugees:


After years of uncertainty, more than 10,000 refugees – mostly from Myanmar –
have left their temporary camps in Thailand to be resettled in third
countries, making the endeavor the largest refugee resettlement program
in the world.
The UN Refugee Agency began the resettlement project in January 2005, in an attempt to end one of the most protracted
refugee situations. Since then, 10,078 refugees have departed Thailand,
where nine refugee camps are home to 140,000 refugees – ethnic
minorities who fled fighting and oppression in Myanmar (Burma) over the
past 11 years.
"After many years of living in closed camps with limited opportunities for education and no opportunities to work,
finally refugees have hope for a new life filled with exciting
opportunities in a new country," said Jeffrey Savage, Resettlement
Officer in the UNHCR’s regional office in Bangkok.
So far, 4,876 have gone to the United States, settling in places like Syracuse, New
York; Phoenix, Arizona; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fort Wayne, Indiana and
Dallas, Texas. Other resettlement countries include Australia, Canada,
and Sweden.

UNHCR hopes to extend resettlement opportunities to even more of the refugees, completing a massive registration project in
several camps last week.

Although most of the refugees would prefer to return home, resettlement is a welcome second option.

"What's really gratifying is to see the change that hope of resettlement has
made in the camps," he said. "An air of excitement has replaced
resignation and hopelessness. You see lots of smiles on the refugees'
faces these days."


Warmly,



Caryl García
Executive Director
USA for UNHCR

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