At the end of 1997, Vietnam hosted 15,000 refugees from Cambodia. About 281,000 Vietnamese refugees (including some 1,200 in Hong Kong) remained in China; fewer than 100 Vietnamese refugees remained in other countries. Vietnamese Refugees An estimated 280,000 ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam remained in mainland China at the end of 1997. Most arrived in 1979, at the time of the China-Vietnam border war, and were not subject to refugee screening under the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees (CPA) later applied to Vietnamese boat people in other asylum countries. In addition nearly 1,300 Vietnamese refugees remained elsewhere. These included about 1,200 in Hong Kong (under Chinese rule since July 1, 1997), and significantly smaller numbers in other countries. More than 2,000 Vietnamese determined not to be refugees also remained in Southeast Asian first-asylum countries. These included more than 1,600 in the Philippines, about 600 in Hong Kong (China), and smaller numbers elsewhere. Repatriation to Vietnam More than 4,500 Vietnamese repatriated during the year, including 3,501 who returned voluntarily and 1,081 who were returned involuntarily through Orderly Return Programs (ORPs). Altogether, more than 109,000 Vietnamese repatriated (more than 95,000 voluntarily and more than 14,000 involuntarily) from the time the CPA came into effect in 1989 through the end of 1997. The 3,501 voluntary returnees in 1997 included 3,368 from Hong Kong, 114 from Thailand, 8 from Indonesia, 7 from Japan, and 4 from Malaysia. Another 1,081 Vietnamese were returned involuntarily through ORPs (1,068 by Hong Kong and 13 by Thailand). In 1997, under the terms of the CPA, UNHCR continued to monitor and assist returnees. It gave all returnees a cash grant and, with several international NGOs, set up micro-development projects throughout Vietnam to boost the ability of local communities to absorb returnees. In April, UNHCR again reported that its monitoring teams had discovered no persecution of returnees. The United States focused attention on Vietnamese who returned home. Some Vietnamese repatriated voluntarily in order to pursue the Resettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese Returnees (ROVR) program. Under ROVR, certain Vietnamese returnees are re-interviewed for possible U.S. resettlement. Although fewer than 200 Vietnamese were admitted to the United States through ROVR in 1997, as many as 20,000 returnees might be eligible for ROVR. ODP Resettlement In addition to ROVR, the U.S. Orderly Departure Program (ODP) includes sub-programs for Amerasians, former reeducation camp prisoners, and "regular" ODP applicants (including persons who served with the U.S. military). Nearly 7,200 people resettled in the United States under ODP during U.S. fiscal year 1997, which ended September 30, 1997. These included 835 Amerasians (who were granted immigrant visas), 5,370 former detainees and family members, and 974 others. Refugees from Cambodia An estimated 15,000 refugees from Cambodia remained in Vietnam at the end of 1997. Most were ethnic Vietnamese who arrived in 1993-95. About 2,000 were ethnic Chinese who arrived in 1978-80. A September UNHCR field mission in the Mekong Delta provinces examined "temporary house registration" cards issued to refugees by local authorities. The mission determined that the number of Cambodian refugees in the region had fallen to about 15,000. Reports in previous years estimated the Cambodian refugee population at more than 30,000. Many Cambodians either spontaneously repatriated or moved to other provinces in Vietnam where they have been locally integrated, UNHCR reported. Although the legal status of Cambodian refugees in Vietnam is that of "alien," they have been granted temporary residence and have access to basic public services. Cambodia and Vietnam have periodically discussed the refugees' eventual repatriation. Vietnam may be considering granting citizenship to the Cambodian refugees, particularly the ethnic Vietnamese, UNHCR suggested. Because of the stable conditions in which the refugees live, UNHCR ended assistance to Cambodian refugees in Vietnam in 1994, and reported in 1997 that it expected to have little contact with the refugee population in the future.
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