CHAPTER IV
ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN THE AMERICAS
A. Latin America
1.
Introduction
168. On 31 December 1977, the total refugee population in the area was approximately 108,000 persons, of whom some 29,000 were of Latin American origin and slightly less than 80,000 of European origin. The latter group has gradually reduced over the years due to natural decrease, the absence of new arrivals and the automatic acquisition of citizenship by children born in Latin America. The total number of refugees of Latin American origin, on the other hand, remained more or less constant, since resettlement to other parts of the world during 1977 was offset by new arrivals. The problems faced by these refugees have continued to demand the close attention of UNHCR.
169. Assistance has mainly been required in Argentina, which has received the largest number of refugees in recent years. In some asylum countries many refugees live precariously, having been granted temporary asylum only, without residence status or permission to work. In such cases, resettlement elsewhere has remained the main solution. Sustained efforts towards this goal resulted in the resettlement in 1977 from Latin America of 4,292 refugees and dependants of refugee heads of family abroad, making a total of 18,338 since the beginning of this operation in late 1973. Most of these movements to 46 countries of resettlement have been undertaken in co-operation with the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, which has provided transport assistance. At the end of the year some 5,000 refugees and family members of refugee heads of family abroad were still awaiting an opportunity to settle permanently in another country. Pending resettlement and local settlement when feasible as a durable solution, temporary assistance measures have again figured prominently in UNHCR's programme in Latin America.
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170. In order to meet the urgent needs of the large numbers of refugees in the area, UNHCR's representation has been further strengthened with the assignment, early in 1977, of a chargé de mission in northern Latin America. This was followed towards the end of the year by the establishment of a Regional Office based in Costa Rica, supplementing the two existing Regional Offices in Buenos Aires and in Lima.
2.
Argentina
171. At year's end the number of refugees registered with UNHCR stood at under 8,000, a reduction of more than 3,000 compared with 1977, resettlement opportunities and other solutions with or without UNHCR involvement having outnumbered new registrations. The majority (over 80 per cent) of the case load were Chilean, the remainder mainly Uruguayan. Owing to the relatively high cost of living in Argentina and the large number of refugees requiring assistance (a monthly average of over 4,200), UNHCR had again to sustain high expenditure in providing for the care and maintenance of refugees pending the implementation of durable solutions. Such assistance was dispensed by the Comisión Coordinadora de Acción Social,
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