Human Rights &JMassive Exodus The Report Background from which significant portions of their tion), dissatisifed with government inte Canada was the main initiator when populations fled For example, the study gration policie are fleeing into Honduras the United Nations Commission on of Haiti provides a candid account of the as are other dissidents. Cuba is a prime Human Rights resolved to study the economic and political situation of that example of the alternative scenario. relation between human rights and mas country and describes human rights Almost one million fled Castro's regime, sive exoduses' Sadruddin Aga Khan, violations, including: repression of free- 120,000 leaving in 1980 alone. In the former United Nations High Commis dom of opinion and expression, extreme context of these regimes the repression sioner for , was appointed restriction of freedom of association, under Chile's Pinochet seems less severe Special Rapporteur. arbitrary detention, intimidation, and torture. (The Inter-American Commis- In Africa as well, both left-wing and right- His study, released in December 1981, sion of Human Rights, which visited Haiti wing dictatorships produce refugees. was controversial not because of the in August 1978 published these findings Civil war in Angola, following independ- main report; it provided a general analy- in 1980.) Haiti would not have had the ence in 1975, produced many more sis of the causes of mass exoduses in the clout to repress the appendices. Annex I refugees In the six months from November past decade, as well as suggested cor- includes the United States governmeni's 1977 to May 1978, for example, new rective measures. The source of contro- reaction to the influx of Haitian "boat arrivals in Zaire - which believed itself versy originated in its three annexes. The people." Haitians who reached the U.S. to be sheltering already about 470,000 first contained succinct studies of 22 were sent to detention centres. Angolan refugees - were estimated to countries which have experienced the total 60,000, while the numbers in Zambia phenomenon of mass exodus. Four "On 30 September 1981, with the justification that rose to 30,000. In Chad, the 13-year old the Haitians' entry was 'detrimental to the interests civil war erupted again on ~&ch21, particularly major situations (i.e., of the United States,' the administration gave Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Indochina and powers to the U.S. coastguard to stop Haitian boats 1980 leading to a massive exodus Mexico) formed the subject matter of the on the high seas, board them and hun back paseengers not in possession of visas nor equipped Political ideologies are not the only second annex which was quite detailed with a p&r reason for wanting to enter the United sources of repression and civil strife and extensive. The third annex presented States - in the form of either proof of actual resulting in mass exoduses. Political an overview of international migration in wlitiul ue-tion bv the Government of Haiti or conflict between neinhbours is another some of the main areas of the world as hefear (hat such pe&cution would start as won as source. In Namibia, ~Guth~fricadisplays recorded by international organizations the individual went back." [Annex I, page 351 "a consistent pattern of gross and reliably or by private researchers. The annexes attested violzkons of hGman rights" not contained the information base for the If Haiti's situation is drastic and the only to its own population. When observations, conclusions and recom- American response is depicted as cold- Mauritania and Morocco divided up the mendations of the report. While the blooded, the situation was even worse in Western Sahara, contrary to the promises study was concerned with potential other areas. Equatorial Guinea, between of autonomy by Spain, the Polisario solutions to the problem, the annexes 1968 and 1979, was, "one of the worst revolt and subsequent conflict produced focused on the root causes. In the official repressive and totalitarian regimes in an estimated 30,000 refugees in a sparse published report, the annexes were ly populated region In 1971, the massive Africa engaging-- - in arbitrary arrests, deleted (repressed?) as well as all refer- torture, summary executions, govern- influx of refugees from East Bengal (now ences to them in the main body of the ment sanctioned murder, including the Bangladesh) of two to four million report2 We obtained a draft of the disappearance of two-thirds of the mem- refugees was a causus belli between India original full report. bers of the 1968 Assembly when Presi- and Pakistan Refugees were not the dent Macias Nguema seized power; at cause of war between Iran and Iraq, but Producing Countries least onethird of the population fled they were certainly a by-product - one million according to some sources. The reasons for suppressing the annexes. (100,000-150,000 people). Uganda under Dada was a close contender for are obvious. Annex I details the econo- Ethnic conflicts are even more insidious mic and political situation of 22 countries the heavyweight title for repression The military regime of Zaire and its 'pacifica- than ones which are primarily ideological ~u.N.Rcsdution 29, March 1981. This originated in part fmm tion' program produced 220,000 refu- and politicaL The Palestinian refugee Resolution 30 (XXXVI) in which the U.N. Commission on gees who fled to Angola by May of 1977; situation remains intractable and unre-, Human RWts expreued concern that large aoduvs or pup uc frequently the mult of human rights violations Rim the numbers who fled totalled over solved after 30 years. We all know of the Sadmddin Aga Khan was appointed Special Rapporteur by the attempts of a small white population to Cluimun of the U.N. Commission on Human Ri@ in April 320,000 a year later. 1981. dominate a majority of blacks in Central and South American regimes are Zimbabwe which resulted in 250,000 21t is, in fact, possible to see where the reference were deleted almost as bad In a country with the refugees. Few know of the Tutsi domina- kow the &ages have been made in a different typeface. The United Nations Division of Human Rights provided the follow- highest population depsity in the hemi- tion of the Hutu who constitute 85% of ingaplanation: the original report exkedthe UN's pmribed sphere, the economic situation and con- the population of 3.5 million people in kn@h for such studies A different reaeon is indicated in the introduction to Be study itself: flict in El Salvador produced a quarter of Burundi. 140,000 have fled, most of them "Thereareduubtless many situations ill which rnasstLxodusesarecaused a million internaily displaced people widows and children In Cyprus, the by dends of human rights, and the Secretary-General dues nut fail to point this uut in his contacts and onsultatiuns with the prtics with at least the same number leavineV the concerned Huwever, the Secretory-General often finds that cunsiderable country. Installation of left-wing regimes caution needs tu be exercised in thr public disclosure of the precise substance of his mntacls wilh Guvernrnents cu~rcrnrdbtcluding those does not seem to solve the problem. One un the nexus between mass exuduses and the full enjuynlet~tof humart hundred thousand Nicaraguans fled the Refugees in Somalia and rights, so as tu awid prejudicing future cotltacts and closing the ywssibility of his being uf assistance i,r the future tu the victisls uf such repressive regime of Somoza and now, situations" the ethnic Indians (4% of the popula- Turkish-Greek conflict resulted in the Push Factors uprooting and resettlement of onethird, Canada's Ambassador, C.D. 220,000, of the population. In Lebanon, The introduction of radical volitical and McPhail, in his speech to the intercommunal strife erupting in 1975 economic policies by revolutionary go- UNHCR Executive Committee, call- resulted in an estimated one million vernments of underdeveloped nations in ed Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan's displaced persons by 1978 (over one- their attempts to modernize (e.g. study an important fir2 step in third of the population); over 250,000 left Kampuchea, after the ascendance of the dealing with the question of mas- the country. Khmer Rouge, and Ethiopia) can be a major sive exoduses. Governments and push factor. Basic human rights are often international organizations have an Repression and political conflict are denied; epidemics and famine can result obligation to tackle both causes and frequently intermixed with ethnic and from economic policies that neglect the consequences of massive exodus communal strife. In South Africa, gross agricultural sector. Large segments of the es, he said Ambassador McPhail and flagrant violations of human rights, population are uprooted and displaced. also expressed hope that a U.N. as well as discriminatory apartheid laws Occasionally, minorities are used as group of experts, to be established produce refugees. In the Philippines, we scapegoats to divert attention from the under FRG initiative at the General find not only a dictatorship, but a Muslim policies of a new regime. In Vietnam, the Assembly, will soon begin examin- organization, the Moro National Libera- government's treatment of the indige- ing possible international legal tion Front, struggling for independence nous ethnic Chinese (closing 30,000 mechanisms to avert flows of refu- in the south; hundreds of thousands have businesses, 80% of which were owned by gees. This and the Sadruddin Re- been uprooted by the struggle. In Burma, Chinese) provoked a massive flight of port are of vital importance, ill treatment of the Muslim minority in these people from that country. Other he said the State of Arakan instigated both an significant push factors are wars and exodus and an insurgent movement insurrections and their resulting chaos. In Africa, colonial partition left largely ment of the refugees. The international Human elements - dictatorship and community responded to the Ethiopian repression, ideological war, political ri- artificial boundaries. Structural imba- lances led to a drift to towns from the crisis by providing considerable relief valries and ethnic conflicts - are not the assistance to refugees in the countries of only causes of mass exoduses. Natural rural areas and/or international migra- tion within Africa Prolonged liberation asylum The government of Ethiopia calamities can be as welL In the Sahel suggested that the "assistance being hundreds of thousands were forced to struggles were also accompanied by a massive exodus "to escape the violent given in one area while.being denied to flee their normal habitat because of areas adjacent to it had contributed to the drought. methods of a self-interested minority regime." Other push factors include influx of refugees." rapid population growth, food insecurity Quotas for resettlement of refugees may Human Rights and a rise in the death rate from malnu- be another pull factor. (Australia recently trition, food scarcity and food price decided not to announce a quota for inflation, chronic high inflation and Can international action contain and refugees for this reason) Cited as a pull even eliminate mass exoduses?3 The unemployment rates, ecological deterio- factor was "the psychological effect upon 1948 Universal Declaration of Human ration from natural or man-made disast- the Vietnamese population of foreign ers, loss or reduction in levels of foreign Rights has no binding effect; large por- broadcasts giving the latest information tions of it have remained unheeded The aid, investor wariness, disproportionate- on resettlement quotes. ..." An added Declaration is analysed article by article ly high military expenditures and inade- factor was an established escape route to establish to what extent exodus is a by- quate public services. with extra-territorial "foreign vessels, product of human rights violations. merchant ships and motor launches of Two kinds of violations emerge as parti- Pull Factors concerned groups in western countries cularly significant. Article 14, dealing The ready availability and relative abun- whose intention it is to save 'boat people' undergoing severe hardship." with the right to asylum, "provides the dance of international aid, as well as the framework within which most popula- system of distribution, are the most The information revolution combined tion movements take place." Articles 20 significant pull factors contributing to with the availability of modern modes of and 21 deal with the right of peaceful mass exoduses. The increasing opera- transportation created both an awareness assembly, freedom of association and tional role of the UNHCR and other among poor nations of conditions exist- other freedoms. The study found that all agencies in humanitarian emergencies ing in more affluent regions of the planet mass exoduses which took place between may have acted as a magnet in drawing as well as the feeling that those regions 1970 and 1980 "poured forth from people over the borders. Annex I1 des- are more accessible. The situation for regions where the prevailing situation cribes in detail the situation in Ethiopia Mexican migrants, described in Annex II, prevented individual citizens from exer- where the repercussions of the socialist is a case in point where "sufficient cising their political rights," although this military takeover in 1974 included eco- opportunity for successful employment "is not, in itself, the essential cause for nomic devastation (not only for Ethiopia, in the U.S. maintains the flow." In the large movements of population" but for neighbouring countries, Sudan, case of Vietnam, as mentioned above, Djibouti, etc) as well as religious and foreign broadcasts played a part in luring No single violation of human rights or political persecution causing a huge people out of the country. any other cause can be isolated as the displacement of population. The massive reason why people choose to uproot; in influx of Ethiopians into the host coun- Victims of human rights violations or each situation studied, a combination of tries caused serious economic and social political revolutions are also encouraged push and pull factors leads to mass problems as well as a growing resent- to leave by the thought that their plight exodus. Circumstances within a country arouses sympathy in countries where or region which force or induce an they would be given an understanding 3"~ass"exodus in the context of the study need not necess.rily welcome; this is particularly true in cases individual to flee are push factors. Incen- refer tor specific large number of pmplc: it is a mass exodus if the number leaving is high relative to the population in either the where the ideology of a new regime is tives to leave exerted from the outside country of origin or the country of asylum or wenif thenumbnis are pull factors. low when those fleeing belong to a particular minorily pup. opposed by those countries, hence American attraction for Vietnamese may find it easier to help in countries of mine precise numbers of those qualifying refugees. asylum than in countries of origin, they, for assistance. More generally, democratic institutions in effect, increase the numbers of refugees in North America and Europe are viewed as those seeking help cross the borders. Difficulties are also encountered in the as guarantors of fair treatment, particu- Also, relief agencies designate people as resettling of large refugee populations, larly by minorities. The authors "regret refugees who under existing legal instru- both in countries of temporary asylum ments do not qualify for refugee status the actual double standards which those and countries of resettlement To the because it is necessary to attach a "refu- who heed this appeal find sorely disap social and cultural problems stemming pointing. when, upon arriving they are gee" label in order to obtain funding. from such operations must be added the made to feel unwelcome." The blurring of differences between high costs involved In the case of refugees andmigrants abuses the right to Vietnamese resettlement for example, Also, emigres who have already settled asylum and creates a backlash from over U.S.$600 million was spent for relief abroad act as a powerful magnet as they which genuine refugees stand to suffer. by UN agencies since 1975, $337 million tend to send home messages of the for transport (ICM). One country of advantages of their new environment Because the numbers are so great in situations of mass exodus, it becomes resettlement budgeted $568 million for while glossing over the difficulties. difficult to determine eligibility for refu- domestic resettlement in a single year. As gee status on an individual basis. well, "substantial sums" were spent by Problems of Relief UNICEF, ICRC and UNHCR on assist- The study is also critical of the ad hoc, and ance within Kampuchea The combination of push and pull factors consequently costly, way in which cur- is conjoined with three serious pro- rent relief programs are carried out by The recommendations of the report blems in current aid and relief methods; the international community. The report reflect the studys conclusion that foreign the abuse of the right to asylum, inequit- proposes the adoption of a more inte- aid practices should be administered in able and uneven distribution of relief and grated approach to the planning and terms of how they could best alleviate the inadequacy of resettlement as a distribution of aid to alleviate regional conditions causing mass flight rather than solution to the problem of mass exodus. disparities in levels of humanitarian coping with it as a "fait accompli." assistance. Because there is no effective Because relief and refugee aid agencies census mechanism, it is difficult to deter-

Haitian Asylum Seekers 6 U.S. Guard vessels interdicting boats. He said them for a year. So far, Schroeder said, Interdiction Policy that passengers on stopped craft are there is no evidence to indicate that those asked questions such as where they are returned have experienced retribution or going and why. Those screened are not ill-treatment It has been one year since the Reagan eligible for asylum, Schroeder said, as administration implemented an interdic- they are not on U.S. soil, but individuals Since October 1981, the arrivals of 506 undocumented Haitians have come to tion policy to prevent Haitian asylum whose answers to questions indicate a the attention of INS, compared to 11,514 seekers from reaching U.S. shores. Ac- bona fide fear of persecution would be in the previous year. cording to the Immigration and Natural- taken to the U.S. where they could make Fmm Refugee Reports, Nov. 5, 1982. ization Service, a total of 117 boats were claims for asylum INS screening guide- boarded between October 1981 and lines are not public information. September 1982; a significant number of those boardings occurred last spring. Schroeder also said that no one stopped coming issue of Refuge on the has filed for asylum since the interdiction United States as a country of first INS spokesman John Schroeder said that policy began, and that a total of 186 asylum, with particular emphasis two interpreters and two immigration persons have been returned to Haiti, on the Haitians. officers form individual teams on Coast where the State Department monitors Refugee Documentation Project

The Institut Henry-Dunant A Refugee Documentation Project has is to carry out field research in refugee is currently undertaking an international study of been established at York University. The crises. unaccompanied children in emergencies Project is cmcemed with acquiring and They would like to add to the projirt a review of The Project funded by a grant from the the Canadian experience with unaccompanied preserving archival materials pertaining socialsciences and ~dti~~~~~~d children since and including WW 11. To this end refugees in and parts the Council, is directed by Professor Howard they are attentpting to identify a sponsoring agency world, with Canadian material being the Adelman and administered by Caroline to carry out a review of the Canadian expenence highest priority. (The ProjecYs library is with unaccompanied children. steDhens. The pro~jccted custs h~ the sponsor would likely open between 10 am and 5 p.m on weekdays) Donations of archival material The Project has recently acquired a large include rrnluneration fur a researcher, body of material on Palestinian refugees at I'aast U.S.$500 fur the acquisition of rrlcvanl are encouraged. If you have worked with materials, some ll~altravel (in Canada) and refugees or have conducted research on in Lebanon and Haitian refugees in the hue one day trips to Geneva. refugees or refugee-related issues, please U.S.A. (documents, reports, international Interested persons or agencies press clippings, periodical articles, court should contact: Everett M. Ressler, write and tell us about your work A Study Coordinator for The Study of function of the Proied is to create an transcripts and statistical surveys). Unaccompanied Children in Emergencies, index of Canadian individuals and organ- Further information may be obtained by Institut Henry Dwant, 114, rue de Lausanne, writing to C. Stephens, Refugee Docu- 1202 Geneva, Switzerland izations concerned with refugees in order to establish a referral network mentation Project, York University, 4700 among people needing information on Keele Street, Downsview, Ontario M3J refugees. Another mandate of the project 2R6. Telephone (416) 667-3639. Refugee Resettlement in Canada,

In 1981,8,873 Indochinese were landed Of the. 200 places allocated for African Latin Americans, 18 were for 23 Africans, in Canada Of these refugees, 6,723 were refugees, 151 were filled; of these, 122 and 3 were for 3 persons from other government assisted and 2,150 were were government-assisted, two were areas. privately sponsored by groups. sponsored by relatives, and 27 were privately sponsored An additional 200 The total intake of Eastern Europeans for places from the contingency reserve 1981 Refugee Summary 1981 was 5,325, of whom 606 were were assigned to Africa in July 1981, for Canada sponsored by relatives and 117 by pri- because a further need for resettlement vate groups was expected. These places were not Canada's planned intake for 1981 totalled used owing to the difficulty in organizing One thousand places for refugees from 16,000. The actual number admitted a protection-oriented program quickly. Latin and Central America were allocated amounted to only 14,996. The govern- in 1981 but because the need for large Private sponsorship applications for re- ment claims to have sponsored 12,080 numbers of resettlement places did not fugees totalled 963 in 1981, representing refugees: however, this figure is mis materialize, this allocation was not fully 2,648 refugees; of these applications, 618 leading as it includes 1502 Indochinese used As well as the reported 137 land- were for 1,975 Indochinese, 297 were for refugees who were actually relative ings, there was an undetermined number 560 Eastern Europeans, 27 were for 87 'sponsored but who are included in the of Ministeis Permits issued to facilitate govemment-assisted totals because some the early admission of Salvadoran From Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration resettlement costs were incurred by the refugees. Levels, Nov. 1982. Background Paper. federal government

1981 Refugee Summary Planned Refugee Intake Planned Actual Gov't Actual Intake Sponsored Intake 1982 1983

Indochina 8,000 8,873 Indochina 4,000 3,000 Eastern Europe 4,000 5,325 Eastern Europe 6,000 3,000 1,000** - Latin and Central America 1,000 137 Latin America & Caribbean 1,000 2,000 Africa 200 151 Africa 500 1,000 200- - Middle East 400 800 Other 300 46 Other 100 200 RS.A.C. *** - 464 Contingency Reserve **** 2,000 2,000

Total

*1,502 Indochinese were admitted on the strength of financial undertakings submitted by relatives in Canada. Since resettlement costs were, however, incurred by the federal government (for food, lodgink and clothing at the staging centres), they have been included in the government-assisted totals. **Allocated from contingency reserve. ***The Refugee Status Advisory Committee considers claims to Convention refugee status by persons in Canada, and advises the Minister on these claims ""Cabinet has approved funding for 10,000 refugees in 1983. If places from the contingency reserve need to be allocated, Cabinet will be asked to approve both the number of places and the required funding. Source: Recruitment and Selection Branch, CEIC.

Canada's shortfall in refugee intake for private sponsorships over government- involvement k these areas. It was thus 1981 is attributable to several reasons. assisted sponsorships, which sometimes necessary to build up contacts with local Refugees admitted under Ministefs Per- slowed down the rate of government relief agencies and church groups to mits may not be counted In addition, intake. As well, in areas such as the facilitate referrals of people. Moreover, a there were operational considerations Middle East, Africa, and Central America, major crisis, which would have warrant- such as the lack of flexibility to have Canada's traditional approach of accept- ed release of the full 2,500 contingency- - resources moved to areas where they ing spontaneous ap&ations did not reserve, simply did not occur. were needed and the priority given to work owing to Canada's lack of past From Backround Paper On Immigration Levels. An- nual Report to Parliment 1983. CEIC. CANADA'S PERIODICAL ON REFUGEES REFUGE is a non-profit, independent bi-monthly periodical about refugees. The annual subscription price is $10.00 for five issues.

If you would like to introduce REFUGE to your colleagues, please send a stamped --REFUGE envelope addressed to them and we will send them a free sample copy. C/O Refugee Documentation Project. Yo& University 4700 KeeleStreet. Downsview Ontario M3J 2R6 We also invite articles, announcements, letters, pictures, etc.

REFUGE C/O Refugee Documentation Project York University 4700 Keele Street DOWNSmW, Ontario M3J 2R6 (416) 667-3639 Name Organization Address City Province or State Country Postal Code Phone paid at 8t.rbomugh, Ontarlo undmr Second C1.u Mail R.giahtbn No. 5512 Admission of refugees into the European countries by region of origin

Vietnam, Laos, Latin America Africa Total number of permanent Cambodia (from (Chile, Argentina, refugees residing asylum 1975 to 30 Uraguay etc) in the country of September 1981) permanent asylum (1) at 30 June 1980 (2) Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Federal Republic of Germany Greece Iceland Ireland I*Y Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Spain Sweden 10,000 Switzerland 2,000 (Asia:1,350 Tibetans) United Kingdom 1I 1) Figures supplied by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

2) Figures supplied by the countries of asylum \ 3) In addition to these figures, the Federal Republic of Germany between 1975 ana980 resettled 263,391 ethnic Germans from East European countries and 80,926 from the German Democratic Republic and Berlin (East). 'From Cdof Eumpe, S(ccring C-iltee for Social Main rrport CDSO (82)29 Jdy26,1980.)