CONFIDENTIAL
- 5-
Emergency relief, including World Food Programme food supplies, is being provided as a first step in a programme designed to help the majority of refugees to become self-supporting through rural settlement in the 1979 phase of the programme. Plans foresee the establishment of 10 settlements in eight provinces. Whilst food aid will remain an important component of the scheme, assistance will be required for agriculture and fisheries, health and education. The Government has already provided land for cultivation. Apart from initial relief assistance, plans for the refugees in Ho Chi Minh City foresee improve ents in lodging, education and other facilities as well as projects to promote self-sufficiency, despite the high level of unemployment in the city.
Among the refugees of urban background, a certain number have expressed the wish to be resettled in other countrics. Movement is already taking place, notably to France. Further details are being compiled of those who might be eligible for resettlement on the basis of close family or other ties.
Boat cases
19. The problem is illustrated by the following table, which does not reflect the arrival of over 10,000 persons in November, who are presently being registered by UNHCR.
Arrivals in
Aug. 75/76
1977
1978 to
31 Oct
Cumulative
total
Not accepted
at 31 Oct
Australia
111
861
663
1,635
Hong Kong
196
1,007
4,956
6,159
3,546
Indonesia
244
679
2,458
3,381
1,623
Japan
348
851
678
1,877.
636
Malaysia
1,157
5,817
33,172
40,146
23,532
Philippines
712
1,153
2,443
4,308
2,130
Singapore
121
308
1,611
2,040
847
Thailand
2,699
4,536
4,599
11,834
1,684
17 other countries
(each under 350 total)
37
452
853
1,342
205
Total arrivals
Departures
Remaining
5,625
15,664
51,433
72,722
34,203
2,332
9,571
22,952
34,855
3,293
9,386
37,867
(of whom
3,664
accepted)
CONFIDENTIAL
}