CONFIDENTIAL 243/1
RECEIVES
DESK OFFLIN
RIDEX
1754
51
A
INFO PRIORITY HONGKONG(GOVERNOR), UKMIS NEW YORK, UKM S/GENE ROUTINE MANILA, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE AND KUALA LUMPUR.
INFO SAVING HANOI AND VIENTIANE.
THAILAND • REFUGEE STATISTICS
1. UNHCR FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER ARE AS FOLLOWS.
LAOTIANS : ARRIVALS 3436 DEPARTURES FOR RESETTLEMENT 4674 VIETNAMESE : TOTAL ARRIVALS 475 (BOAT PEOPLE 279) DEPARTURES FOR RESETTLEMENT 1493 (BOAT PEOPLE 1004)
KAMPUCHEANS : ARRIVALS 2830 (BOAT PEOPLE NIL) DEPARTURES FOR RESETTLEMENT 2839 (BOAT PEOPLE NIL)
TOTAL ARRIVALS 6946 DEPARTURES FOR RESETTLEMENT 9006
EXCESS OF DEPARTURES OVER ARRIVALS 3978.
2. TOTAL UNHCR CAMP POPULATION ON 30 SEPTEMBER WAS 168.897, EXCLUDING 5294 IN TRANSIT CENTRES IN BANGKOK AWAITING RESETTLEMENT.
3. MAIN RESETTLEMENT DESTINATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER WERE /: USA (5940, CANADA (759), GERMANY (669), FRANCE (775) AND AUSTRALIA (271). 92 WENT TO UK.
4. COMMENT - ANOTHER GOOD MONTH FOR THAILAND
EXCEPTIONALLY
HIGH DEPARTURE RATE HAS, FOR THE SECOND MONTH RUNNING REDUCED CAMP POPULATION. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF NEW LAO ARRIVALS APPEAR TO BE HMONG. BOAT ARRIVALS (208) SHOW ONLY THOSE ALLOWED TO LAND. WE BELIEVE FURTHER POTENTIAL REFUGEES HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO LAND: (POSSIBLY 403 IN LAST TWO MONTHS)
5. DIRECTOR OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPEAN MIGRATION (ICEM) VISITED THAILAND LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS PROSPECTS FOR SPEEDIER RESETTLEMENT. THAIS ARE CONCERNED AT LARGE NUMBER OF REFUGEES ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT BUT DETAINED HERE FOR HEALTH REASONS.
TRIPP
FILES
SEAD
NEWS.D PS.
HK-GO
P3/273
UND
FAD
PS/MA BLAKER Ps/Pus
MAHURRAY HL STRATTON"
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PUSD
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OID IPD
CONFIDENTIAL