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More than ever our efforts and goals thus need to be directed
towards the search for solutions, the testing of new initiatives.
A year ago I reported to you a caseload of some 130,000 refugees
remaining in camps in Thailand and receiving UNHCR assistance.
Since then, i.e. over the last twelve months, some 8,000 refugees
have newly arrived in Thailand from their countries of origin and
were admitted to camps. During the same period some 30,000
departed for third country resettlement, thus exceeding arrivals
by 22,000.
registration
of
Yet, births, the transfers into camps and
refugees have largely
hitherto undocumented
offset departures SO that the overall caseload has remained
almost stagnant.
For their upkeep in the camps UNHCR alone spent some 500
Baht
1985,
million
not counting substantial costs borne by the Royal
Thai Government itself and the valuable services rendered by many
Voluntary Agencies. While most of the expenses arise from the
and of and the maintenance of the infrastructure feeding
services
for
basic
the refugees in camps they also include such
emergency outlays as the construction of accommodations after the
fire in Ban Napho this spring and additional costs for
movements.
refugee
little
progress
solutions
During the past year, despite increased efforts, disappointingly
has been made in opening up durable
other than resettlement. Although it is generally agreed that
voluntary repatriation should be pursued foremost to resolve any
refugee problem, formidable obstacles are still encountered to
making it
concerned.
viable proposition as
far
as Indochinese are
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