By Kantarawaddy Times
Local refugees along the Thai-Karenni border are expressing concerns over the potential shift in U.S. government policies after the election of the new administration. This shift may impact their chances of resettlement in third countries.
Following the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 47th U.S. Presidential Election, human rights experts have raised concerns that refugees from the Thai-Myanmar border may face the possibility of having their third-country resettlement opportunities canceled. This is according to reports from The Nation, a media outlet based in Thailand.
A plan to resettle approximately 60,000 refugees in third countries had previously been agreed upon by the Thai government and the U.S. government under the Democratic administration. However, with the election of a new U.S. administration, the refugees now fear that the policy may change.
The U.S. had begun collecting data for the resettlement process from refugee camps on the Thai-Karenni border in 2023. Although it was initially expected that many refugees would eventually be resettled in third countries, officials from Karenni refugee camps are now uncertain whether these plans will proceed under the new administration.
“We have been asking for equitable distribution across all nine camps. We’ve repeatedly requested this, but we haven’t received any confirmation about resettlement. Furthermore, with the change in leadership, we are hearing that the resettlement plans may no longer go ahead. Therefore, we can’t give a definitive answer to the public about what will happen,” said a committee member from Karenni Refugee Camp No. 1.
U Aung Naing Win, a Karenni refugee who has lived in the camps for over a decade, also expressed concerns about the potential for a policy change: “If the U.S. doesn’t take in refugees for resettlement, we will apply to other countries. Our situation here in Thailand isn’t ideal. We don’t have the freedom we need, and we’re uncertain about Thailand’s political situation. We don’t know what will happen next.”
The refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border include Mae La, Umpiem, Nupo, Mae Ra Ma Luang, Mae La Oon, Ban Don Yang, Htar Ma Hin, as well as the Karenni refugee camps (Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin). These camps are home to an estimated total population of nearly 100,000 refugees across nine refugee camps, according to sources.
The majority of refugees residing along the Thai-Myanmar border are from Karenni and Karen States. Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, the number of refugees fleeing Myanmar into Thailand has significantly increased.
