Thailand
Malaysia Hong Kong
2.
Cumulative Arrivals Remaining Caseload
100,193
24,285
3,341
3,216
114,574
13,671
1,922
1,317
Philippines
5.
In Thailand, the greater part of the caseload of 114,574 consists of arrivals by land from Laos (96,680) and from Cambodia (14,322).
Malaysia is now the country receiving the greatest number of boat cases, followed by Hong Kong and the Philippines. Other areas of asylum include Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Macau and the Republic of Korea, while smaller groups have continued to other ports of call cutside the region.
III RESCUE AT SEA
6.
"Boat cases" leaving their country of origin either arrive directly in the country of asylum, cr are rescued at sca by passing vessels and brought to the first port of call where permission is sought to disembark them, Some cases perish tragically at sea in the event their boats capsize while the distress signals of other cases are either not seen or, sometimes, regrettably, if seen, are
not heeded.
7:
The High Commissioner is seriously concerned at the possible loss of life occurring at sea and is undertaking his best offorts to ensure that (a) countries of the first port of call offer temporary asylum and transit facilities and (b) shipping companies heed distress signals and act in accordance with the rules of international law relating to rescue at sea.
გ.
In
Thus, UNHCR cooperates with governments of the first port of call to allow rescued cases to disembark so that they could he processed for resettlement in third countries. Pending the completion of processing, UNHCR provides temporary assistance. almost all areas of the region, governments have accepted this arrangement. Jointly with the Inter-Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO), UNHCR appealed, through the International
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