World's refugee population doubles; US committed to assistance - US Coordinator for Refugee Affairs Jewel Lafontant-Mankarious to Senate Judiciary Committee - transcript

US Department of State Dispatch, Oct 15, 1990

In West Africa, the Liberian refugee population has risen in recent months from 170,000 to 500,000. The conflict, which started with an incursion by rebels led by a former government minister in northeast Liberia's Nimba County, has resulted in an unleashing of violent ethnic hostilities committed by both sides.

The FY 1990 admissions ceiling for Africa was originally set at 3,000. However, during the course of the year, it became apparent that additional travel-ready refugees could be moved and, after reallocating numbers from another region, the Africa ceiling was raised to 3,500. At the beginning of FY 1991, a pipeline of some 1,500 Immigration and Naturalization Service-approved African refugees - most of whom will become travel ready during the first quarter of FY 1991 - is expected. Given the continued lack of other solutions for significant refugee populations in the region, African refugee numbers should be increased to 4,900.

Near East/South Asia

The Near East/South Asian region has the unhappy distinction of having the largest concentration of refugees and displaced people in the world today. With continuing hostilities in the West Bank and Gaza, the plight of 2 million Palestinians remains without a solution.

As a result of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980, more than 3 million Afghan refugees remain in neighboring Pakistan and an estimated 2 million are in Iran. Voluntary repatriation programs have met with some success. However, because of the unstable political situation in Afghanistan, it is unlikely that a significant number of Afghans will return to their homeland any time soon. If Afghans were able to return home, the world's refugee rolls would be reduced by a full one-third.

The original FY 1990 admissions ceiling of 6,500 was revised to 5,000 during the course of the year when it became apparent that at least 1,500 numbers were likely to go unused and were needed elsewhere. The decrease was largely due to a decline in applications from Iranian religious minorities.

The proposed ceiling for refugees from the Near East and South Asia for FY 1991 is 6,000. This ceiling would allow us to continue to process Afghan, Iranian, and Iraqi refugees in priorities one through four.

Southeast Asia

Over 110,000 Indochinese asylum seekers reside in camps in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Thailand alone is host to some 300,000 displaced persons from Cambodia who await repatriation to their homeland under a comprehensive political settlement. Thailand also has a significant camp population of Vietnamese and Laotians.

In Southeast Asia, maintaining first asylum for Vietnamese boat people remains one of the most critical issues we face in this region. The comprehensive plan of action (CPA), adopted by 56 nations in 1989 reaffirms the commitment to providing first asylum and resettlement opportunities for screened-in refugees. While the Southeast Asian nations and Hong Kong have recognized the humanitarian right of boat people to seek asylum, Malaysia has continued its policy of push-offs - a practice the US deplored and which we have protested at the highest levels. Since May 1989, Malaysia has reportedly towed over 8,000 boat people back out to sea, although fortunately in most cases with provisions for onward travel to Indonesia.