| Fact Sheet Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Washington, DC April 4, 2005 Refugee Admissions Program for East AsiaBackground Since 1975, over 1.4 million Indochinese refugees have been resettled in the United States, either from first asylum countries or through in-country processing programs. The majority (some 900,000) were Vietnamese, but significant numbers of Lao (Highland and Lowland) and Cambodians (Khmer) were also resettled in the United States. Since 1975, the major U.S. resettlement programs for Indochinese refugees included the Comprehensive Plan of Action (concluded in 1997), the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) concluded in 1999), and the Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees (concluded in 2000). Since 1999, the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City processes any cases remaining or newly identified from these programs. In FY 2004, 8,079 refugees entered the United States from East Asia. The majority were Lao-Hmong from Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand. The other principal nationalities resettled were Vietnamese and Burmese. FY 2005 Admissions Program The ceiling in FY 2005 for refugees from East Asia is 13,000 of which some 10,000 will be utilized by Lao-Hmong from Thailand. The remaining admissions will include primarily Burmese and Vietnamese. The U.S. Government and the Government of Vietnam have reached agreement to reopen certain categories of ODP. Details will be announced in mid-FY 2005. In addition, we will open a resettlement program to consider applications from a population of some 1,800 Vietnamese who remained in the Philippines after the CPA ended in June 1996. |
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