| UNHCR Activities in Asia
 Today, nearly three million refugees live outside their countries of origin in Asia, the result of several conflicts over the past 20 years. Pakistan and Iran host the most refugees, the majority of whom have fled from Afghanistan during the last few decades of war. Camps in Thailand host hundreds of thousands of refugees from Myanmar. Bhutanese refugees have been living in Nepal since they were expelled from their homes 16 years ago.
UNHCR resettlement efforts in Asia have been stepped up over the past five years. The graph below shows the increase of UNHCR resettlement submissions for refugees out of Asia.
The largest populations of refugees to arrive in the United States are the Burmese and Bhutanese. In 2008, UNHCR submitted 30,388 refugees from Myanmar and 23,516 refugees from Bhutan for resettlement. 83 % of these were submitted to the United States. Other resettlement countries include Australia, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand. The U.S. indicated in 2008 that it was willing to accept 60,000 Bhutanese, over the course of the next few years, as refugees express interest in resettlement. This would make up over half of the current Bhutanese population in Nepali camps. By April 2009, 16,458 Bhutanese had been accepted to the U.S. resettlement program.
*Photo: Burmese refugees in a camp in Thailand, preparing for a resettlement Cultural Orientation (UNHCR, Tina Hinh)
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