IOM resettled over 17,000 refugees from Thailand in 2009, bringing
the total number of refugees moved from the country's refugee camps
to new homes abroad to over 74,000 since 2004.

The majority of the refugees – over 57,000 or nearly 80%
– came from Myanmar, and belonged to the Karen and Karenni
ethnic groups. A further 15,000 were ethnic Hmong from the Lao
PDR.

Over 80% of the 74,000 were resettled in the USA, with the
remainder accepted by  Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom.

In 2009 6,800 or nearly 40% of the refugees resettled by IOM
Thailand came from Ban Mae Nai Soi – a jungle camp located in
the remote north west of the country in Mae Hong Son province. A
further 3,400 came from Mae La camp, 300kms to the south in Tak
province.

The remainder were resettled from seven other remote border
camps located close to Thailand's mountainous jungle border with
Myanmar. All but about 300 of the 17,074 refugees moved by IOM
Thailand in 2009 came from Myanmar.  

IOM provides pre-departure health screening for refugees at the
request of resettlement countries, including chest x-rays to check
for tuberculosis and other contagious diseases. If a refugee is
found to be suffering from a contagious disease, IOM provides
treatment until they are fit to travel.

When the refugees are cleared to depart, IOM transports them by
bus from the camps to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and arranges
their onward travel on commercial flights to their final
destinations in resettlement countries.

IOM's 35-year history of refugee resettlement from Thailand
began in 1975 in the aftermath of the Vietnam war, when it helped
nearly half a million Indochinese refugees from Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia to leave the country and start new lives abroad. It works
closely with the Royal Thai government, UNHCR and the governments
of resettlement countries.  

For more information and a fact sheet detailing IOM Thailand's
resettlement operations, please contact:

Chris Lom

IOM Bangkok

Tel. +66.819275215

E-mail: "mailto:clom@iom.int">clom@iom.int