Southeast Asia
Although over 1.5 million Indochinese have been resettled during the past decade, a residual population of about 160,000 remains in first asylum
countries in this area.
New arrivals of "boat people" have, however,
stabilized, owing to the orderly emigration of persons from Vietnam. New arrivals from Kampuchea have almost ceased because the Thai-Kampuchean border
has been sealed, but many Khmer have been granted temporary haven on the border. There is international agreement that voluntary repatriation or local settlement are the best solutions for Hmong people from Laos and for a significant portion
of Khoer and Lao in Thailand. A residual population of some 70,000 displaced
persons, combined with 500е new arrivals from Vietman, would benefit from
third-country resettlement.
to
Canada has beca participating actively in international efforts
tesolve the problem of persons rescued at sea. An increasing number of countries show reluctance to help refugees at sea if they cannot be placed in
refugee-recciving countries, and these programs are
and these programs are intended to provide places
for such persons.
Resettlement is considered to be a priority for persons with relatives
in refugee-receiving nations. Canada's participation with Vietnam in the family
reunification program provides an opportunity for legal departure, thus reducing the perils of the open sea or of overland travel through Cambodia.
Latin America
Canadian Interest in the Latin American situation is focussed mainly
in Central America, where resettlement outside the area is the most practical
option for a relatively small number of persons. While repatriation or local
resettlement is preferable, the Canadian resettlement response has been increas-
ed to reflect the continuing unrest in this area. It should also be noted