final report resettlement programarcmthailand.com/documents/documentcenter/resettlement-.pdf ·...

Final Report

Resettlement Program

Output 2C: “Sustainable Solutions to the Displaced People

Situation along the Thai-Myanmar Border”

8 March 2011

Contents of the Final Report

• Chapter 1: Introduction• Chapter 2: Desk Review• Chapter 3: Asylum Country Research and Analysis• Chapter 4: Resettlement Country Research and

Analysis• Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations

Chapter 3: Asylum Country and Results

• Statistical Findings• Applicants• Gender Diversity

Resettlement Application Status by Place of Birth

Applied for Resettlement

NoYes

Perc

enta

ge o

f Dis

plac

ed P

erso

ns

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Place of Birth

Karen State

Karenni State

Thanithayi/Tavoy

Shan State

Mon State

Temporary Shelter

Other

Chapter 3: Asylum Country and Results• Statistical Findings

- Education level - Years in campResettlement Application Status by Educational Level


NoYes

Perc

enta

ge o

f Dis

plac

ed P

erso

ns

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Education Completed

No Formal Education

Primary in Myanmar

Middle in Myanmar

High in Myanmar

Primary in Shelter

Secondary in Shelter

Post-10th Course

Status by Duration of Stay in the Temporary Shelter


NoYes

Perc

enta

ge o

f Disp

lace

d Pe

rson

s

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

100

Duration in Shelter

1-5 years

6-10 years

11-20 years

• Motivations• Push Factors

• Security Reasons to remain in the camp• 13% of respondents express keen interest to return to

Myanmar but also concern about human rights / security issues

• Pull Factors• Future Prospects• Education• Family Reunification• Employment Opportunities• Freedom/Human Rights



17.6%

13.1%64.2%

No Response

Unsure

Disagree

Agree

• Responding Statistics on the option for resettlement


• Constraints to the Participation in the Program• Status and registration qualifications for resettlement

• Stall in the registration process• Ethnic Identity and Resettlement Decision

• Ties to heritage and culture• Awareness about the Resettlement Program

• Lack of adequate information• Accessibility to Resettlement Process

• Proper documentation for household• Organization involvement

• RTG frequent dialogue required• Ability to Choose Resettlement Country• Differing Registration Status with Families

Chapter 3: Asylum Country and Results• Impacts and Implications of the Program

• Objectives and Rationale of the Program• Establishment of the Program and Future Prospects

• Impacts on the Program on Participants• Preparation life in resettlement country

Displaced Persons who Feel Adequately Prepared Vocationally

Feel Adequately Prepared Vocationally for Resettlement

UnsureNoYes

Perc

enta

ge o

f Dis

plac

ed P

erso

ns

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Language Confidence

Yes

No

Unsure


• Impacts and Implications of the Program• Resettlement location and displaced communities

• Individual needs and available resources• Gender roles

• Cultural norm (women work, men stay home)• Impacts on Remaining Shelter Residence

• Population size• Gender issues concerning expedite resettlement• Future resettlement concerns

• Quotas• Advocacy on policy related to resettlement

• Impact on Resettlement Flow• Fraud cases on resettlement


• Impacts and Implications of the Program• Resettlement location and displaced communities

• Individual needs and available resources• Gender roles

• Cultural norm (women work, men stay home)• Impacts on Remaining Shelter Residence

• Population size• Gender issues concerning expedite resettlement• Future resettlement concerns

• Quotas• Advocacy on policy related to resettlement

• Impact on Resettlement Flow• Fraud cases on resettlement

• Conclusion and Recommendations• Positive impact but not a lone durable solution

Chapter 4: Resettlement Country Research Analysis

• St. Paul, Minnesota• Largest Karen Community

• San Francisco, California• Urban Area adaptation

• Post Resettlement Integration• Living in a large Karen community and small Karen

community• Competition for labor

• Impact of Resettlement• Flows / Pull Factor• Brain drain to leaders in Camps

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations

• Future Prospects• Promising future for the resettled Karen• Role of resettlement (no call for an end but no long-term plans)

• US Resettlement of Karen• Positive response and promising future• Concerns on those who are placed in competitive locations

• Royal Thai Government Response and Policy• Requires a collaborative approach that respects every party

involved• Using national and multilateral means to promote integration

of minorities in the border areas

Comments and Recommendations

The Process and Prospects for Resettlement of Displaced Persons

on the Thai-Myanmar BorderBy

Navita DirekwutBen HarkinsAungkana Kmonpetch

1. Resettlement Programme

- since 2005, eligible displaced persons applied for third country resettlement- During 2010, 11,107 displaced persons depart for resettlement, bringing the total number of departure to 64,513 since 2006. (UNHCR, 2006c, p.8)

2. Challenging Resettlement Programme to Become Durable Solutions

• The populations of displaced persons in the shelters have not decreased even after 5 years

• Programme is becoming pull factor for resettlement seekers rather than legitimate asylum seekers

• The rates of application have been lower than anticipated

• Growing proportion of displaced persons who are ineligible to apply: lack of a functional status determination process to assess their claims to asylum

3. Statement of the Problem

• What resettlement operations have achieved so far in Thailand

• How the programme can be strengthened to become a more effective durable solutions to the displaced person situation based on an evaluation of the impacts of the resettlement as well as of the motivations and constraints for displaced persons to participate in the programme.

Burmese border refugee site with population figures

Chiegmai ProvinceWH Wieng Heng (Shan Refugees) 656

Mae Hong Son ProvinceSite 1 Ban Kwai/Nai Soi 14505Site 2 Ban Mae Surin 3713Mae La Oon

16092Mae Ra Ma Luang 17642

Tak Province

Mae La 40009Umpiem Mai

18180Nu Po 16129

Kanchanaburi ProvinceBan Don Yang 4397

Ratchaburi ProvinceTham Hin 8013

Total 139336

4. Research Questions• Is resettlement a desirable durable solution

or simply the only option available from the perspective of displaced persons in the shelters?

• What are the major constraining or motivating factors determining whether displaced persons participate in the resettlement program?

• What impact has the resettlement program had on the remaining population in the shelters?

5. Research Questions

• What impact has resettlement had on the influx of new asylum seekers into the shelters and the total number of displaced persons living in the shelters?

• What are the impacts that resettled displaced persons are having on the situation back in Thailand?

• What are the gender-based impacts of the resettlement program?

6. Research Questions

• How can the resettlement program be improved to become more effective in result and more responsive to the needs of displaced persons?

• What role should resettlement play in the future as part of a sustainable and solutions-oriented approach to the displacement situation?

7. Study Framework

•

8. Research Approach

• a broad range of research locations • the perspectives of diverse stakeholders for the

displacement situation. • An evaluation of the integration experience for

displaced persons at 2 locations within the U.S., • an analysis of the program’s impacts for displaced

persons within Thailand including socio-cultural, camp management and gender dimensions, and

• an assessment of the impact of the resettlement program on displacement flows into the shelters.

9. Desk Review Of The Resettlement Programme

• documents related to theoretical foundations of the resettlement solution,

• documents relevant to the resettlement policies for the border shelters,

• documents which established the role of important stakeholder organizations,

• documents which study the resettlement program’s implementation and impacts, and

• documents which make recommendations for adjustments to the program.

10. Desk Review

• Definition and Function of Resettlement

• Refugee Integration

• Resettlement Policies in the Border Shelters

- UNHCR Resettlement Policies: Eligibility for Resettlement / Submission of Case to Resettlement Country / Consideration of Case by Resettlement Country /Reception and Integration in Resettlement Country

11. Desk Review

• U.S. Resettlement Policies

• Important Stakeholder Organizations within the Resettlement Program

• Resettlement Program Implementation

• UNHCR Resettlement Process

• Addressing Fraud within the Resettlement Program

• Resettlement Program Impacts

12. Desk Review

• Impacts on Resettled Displaced Persons- Employment / Housing / Health / Education / Welfare / Language Skills / Religious Organizations / Community Reception / Legal Concerns / Communication / Remittances and Personal Finances / Secondary Migration

13. Desk Review

Impacts on Remaining Shelter Populations

- Overall Depletion of Skilled Workers / Education / Health / Administration / Vulnerable Groups / Emotional State of the Shelters / Expenses and Income / Future Options for Displaced Persons / Shelter Population Totals

14. Desk Review Conclusion

• more limited in revealing the impacts and implications that have resulted

• the lack of sufficient research on its impacts and implications leaves a gap in the literature which may be partly based upon the international perception of the role of resettlement in Thailand

15. Desk Review Conclusion to understand the affect that resettlement is

having in Thailand to understand what has been accomplished so

far and how the program can be strengthened for improved results in the future

To understand the motivations and constraints for displaced persons to participate in the program and

the impacts and implications of resettlement for program participants, the remaining shelter populations and new displacement flows into the shelters.

Challenge in resettlement issue

• major impact on camp management, community services and assistance projects supported by NGOs

• difficult to replace staff especially medics, as there is a small pool from which to choose candidates and the training take more than a year

• Thai government regulations preventing agencies from taking camp residents to outside institutes for training purposes

• none of the 11 countries resettling the refugees has expressed interest in covering the costs of training a new cadre of skilled workers


• Lack of information remains a significant problem for the refugees who have to make the choice of whether they want to be resettled

• Some community-based organization in the camp maintain that resettling countries have initiated little dialogue with them

• resettling countries should provide a pre-cultural orientation and distribute information through a variety of audio-visual media and in the context and language understood by the refugees.

Research Proposition

• favour for resettlement solution in the third country might be an admiration of a large number of ethnic displaced - young people and the parents including the family members for their fulfillment of reunification, as well as some skilled displaced migrants and many newly arrived displaced persons

• Nevertheless, the resettlement has still been challenged in serving as durable solution for Burmese displaced migrants not only their attitudes and perceptions towards resettlement assistance but also the institutional apparatus of resettlement process and operation

Research Proposition

• perception on resettlement might have become only the dilemma for many Burmese displaced migrants persons who remain confused to make decision what should be the most appropriate resolution for the duration of their protracted refugee situation

• resettlement option might has remained only the most possible alternative, but not their most preference and expectation for durable solution of entire forced displaced migrants

Resettlement option

Many Burmese displaced persons are determined to remain in the camp - with some fear of cultural adjustment, acculturation, family separation etc.

• Self-settled migrants and new arrivals whose status have not been recognized have not been able to approach the resettlement programme.

• uncertainity whether the resettlement assistance will be the durable solution for their future - political dimension of ethnicity

• not every applicants have been successfully to be selected for resettlement

Resettlement question

• why not many displaced migrants have determined to apply to the resettlement programme despite many attempts by UNHCR and humanitarian agencies in campaigning the resettlement programme as the most durable solution;

• what is their perception about the resettlement

• how do the existing conditions in making decision to apply for resettlement have been well-responded

Resettlement question • whether the resettlement programme has given

them sufficient relief for those applicants in needed and those non-applicants; and what is their tension in resettlement process etc.

• whether the Thai government’s engagement in comprehensive strategies in partnership with UNHCR and non-governmental agencies does address adequately resettlement assistance

• What are the obstacles in cohesive and effective manner to reinforce protection principles and enhance the international response to refugee resettlement process

Resettlement focus

• challenges confronting those engaged or not engaged with the managing resettlement assistance

• inadequacies in the institutional mechanism for refugee protection and relief

• the resettlement is very challenged by the lack of attitudes of refugee themselves

• the difficulties of refugees in the resettlement countries in acculturation and assimilation process

Resettlement focus

• various aspects of the resettlement refugee regime in the pre-departure process, exploring in particular the record, challenges and prospects of the UNHCR, humanitarian agencies. governmental institutions

• how these institutions have assumed responsibility sharing for protracted refugee situation in order to fill gaps in the resettlement refugee regime that were not envisaged at the time of its establishment.

• how the UN’s refugee agency and other humanitarian organizations have been limited in their abilities

Resettlement prospect

• The government’s motive for resettlement

• a few victims of violent social conflict become refugee claiming assistance.

• availability of resettlement for refugees is conditioned by foreign policy considerations in the receiving countries

Comprehensive solution

• to foster a more critical and realistic understanding of the refugee resettlement, so as to clarify the obligations and limitations of the resettlement assistance towards displaced migrants in great need, and the ways in which these are best implemented.

• comprehensive solution with resettlement strategy should consider the perceptions and attitudes of refugees themselves particularly their traumatized experiences in prolonged exile

• truly comprehensive solution should include sustained political, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian engagement in both the country of origin and the country of asylum.


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