boat people

boat people (Vietnam) A term given to around one million refugees who fled Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, largely in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats. The exodus of mostly Chinese people, who, as the country's major business community, had the most to lose after the takeover of South Vietnam by the Communist north, was more often than not permitted by the state in return for some extortionate payment. It peaked in 1979–82, though during the late 1980s thousands were still leaving Vietnam each month. In 1985 the UN High Commission for Refugees negotiated a Rescue at Sea Resettlement Scheme, wherein thirteen member nations, including the USA, Japan, and Canada, agreed to take a yearly quota of refugees. Furthermore, the Thai navy was commissioned to prevent pirates robbing and sinking boats. From the late 1980s, an increasing number of refugees were of Vietnamese origin, with a significant number from the north. Wealthier refugees were successfully resettled, but many poorer ones ended in camps (e.g. in Hong Kong) waiting to be resettled in Vietnam.