Boat people

:This is an article about illegal immigrants travelling by boat. For people living on fishing boats, see Tanka (ethnic group).

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Boat people is a term (usually) referring to impoverished illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who arrive en masse in old or crudely made boats. The term came into common use in the 1970s with the mass exodus of Vietnamese refugees following the Vietnam War.

Related Topics:
Illegal immigrant - Asylum seekers - Boat - 1970s - Vietnam War

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It is a widely used form of migration for people migrating from Cuba, Haiti, Morocco, Vietnam or Albania. They often risk their lives on dangerously crude and overcrowded boats to escape oppression or poverty in their home nations. In 2001, 353 asylum seekers sailing from Indonesia to Australia drowned when their vessel sank.

Related Topics:
Migration - Cuba - Haiti - Morocco - Vietnam - Albania - Poverty - Indonesia - Australia - Vessel sank

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Boat people are frequently a source of controversy in the nation they seek to immigrate to, such as the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain and Australia. Boat people are often forcibly prevented from landing at their destination, such as under Australia's Pacific Solution, or they are subjected to mandatory detention after their arrival.

Related Topics:
United States - Canada - Italy - Spain - Australia - Pacific Solution - Mandatory detention

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