In January, I was able to finally resume in person visits to our local partners after a lengthy hiatus due to COVID-19. It was wonderful to be able to see them and their work in person again. Unfortunately it was short lived as Cambodia is experiencing its worst COVID-19 outbreak to date.

I wanted to highlight one partner that I got to visit; the Khmer Vulnerability Aid Organization. This organization has had a few names over the years (RAP, RISP, RISC) but Mennonite Central Committee has been it’s most consistent support since it was founded in 2002.

Nearly 160,000 Cambodians were admitted to the United States in the aftermath of the Vietnamese American war and the Khmer Rouge regime. Approximately 150,000 of them were admitted as refugees between 1975 and 1994. There were families with adults, young children, and infants. Many grew up not in Cambodia but in the refugee camps in Thailand. Many struggled with PTSD or other mental illnesses due to the traumatic events they lived through. Most resettled in marginalized communities with high rates of gang violence, crime, drugs, and racism.

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KVAO provides supports to returnees to Cambodia from the United States. These returnees were refugees who travelled to the United States as children, most under the age of three, and who grew up there. These individuals had legal resident status in the United States but are not citizens and can be deported. Many of them were unaware of this.

Most of them have a criminal record. Many of them committed significant crimes. Some committed crimes when they were young but had been law abiding for years. A few were deported over minor infractions. A very few have active legal cases and hope to return to the United States. Most will never be able to return to the United States, which many consider home, and instead will live out the reminder of their lives in Cambodia their “foreign homeland”.

The returnees face tremendous challenges on arrival in Cambodia and KVAO is the only organization dedicated to helping them reintegrate successfully into Cambodian society.

• Returnees often feel betrayed and discriminated aganist
• Lost and vulnerable in a land their parents fled decades ago
• Lack of memories, cultural sensitivity, and Khmer language
• Lack of knowledge of the legal system in Cambodia
• Being separated from family, friends, and other support networks
• Lack of employment opportunities.
• Lack of knowledge, skills, and experience for the Cambodian employment market
• Preexisting health, mental health, and/or addiction

KVAO navigates these challenges to support the returnees in a broad variety of ways.

• Picking them up at the airport: KVAO meets the returnees at the airport along with government immigration officers and provides them with someone who has been there. Many of KVAO’s personnel were returnees themselves.
• Temporary housing: KVAO operates a center for new returnees and returnees who are struggling.
• Documentation assistance: Few of the returnees have Cambodian birth certificates. KVAO assists them in registering with the government to obtain the documentation they for residency and employment.
• Employment Assistance/ Skill Training: KVAO assists returnees in finding employment in Cambodia and provides skill development. One of the most successful skills development programs has been TESOL certification enabling returnees to teach English in Cambodia.
• Field Visit and Follow-up Support: KVAO helps connect returnees with family in Cambodia (if any) and makes regular field visits to check in on them.
• Basic Medical Care and Referrals: KVAO provides medical assistance and helps returnees navigate a very different health system.
• Cultural Orientation: Many of the returnees are unfamiliar with Khmer culture. This basic training helps them understand their “foreign homeland”.
• Conflict Reduction, and Mediation: KVAO trains the returnees on Khmer culture, provides conflict transformation training, and provides informal counseling around destructive behaviors.
• Long Term Support: There’s a wide range of needs. Three of the returnees require 24/7 medical care and will never be able to be independent. Others require daily or weekly support. Unlike most returnees, these cases will not change – they will need these medical supports for the rest of their lives.

In 2002, the United States and Cambodia signed an agreement that allowed these refugees to be deported back to their ‘foreign homeland’. Since then, 768 returnees have been deported to Cambodia. 751 male, 17 female. 47 of them have since passed away. 2 are confirmed suicides but the staff suspect more took their lives. 38 are identified as having special needs and require intensive ongoing supports for physical or mental health conditions. 14 have been incarcerated for crimes committed in Cambodia. KVAO has a 7.5% recidivism rate which, based on rehabilitation programs in the US, is incredible. 15 have migrated to other countries in the region, 153 are English teachers, 14 work for NGOs, 260 have general employment, and 106 are self-employed. 116 are currently employed, this number is up due to COVID-19. 5 have overturned their legal cases and been able to return to the US.

Bill Herod started the Returnee Assistance Program at this time with support from Mennonite Central Committee, Church World Service, and the American Friends Service Committee. RAP worked closely with the Cambodian government to ensure the human rights of the returnees and that strong partnership has persisted over the years. Shortly after the first returnees arrived, RAP met with the US Embassy and has received USAid funding to support returnee reintegration. MCC provides peacebuilding, training, and medical support for returnees.

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Returnees are among the most marginalized people in society. KVAO enables them to successful integrate into Cambodia, ensuring that their human rights are respected, and securing a new future that isn’t doomed to repeat mistakes they made in the past.