Lyla Lindsey
The end of the Vietnam War in 1975, marked by the fall of Saigon, precipitated a mass Indochinese refugee crisis, with more than 2 million people fleeing the region, often in unseaworthy boats. Many Vietnamese refugees migrated to Australia, with more than 200,000 Vietnamese-born people living in the country as of the 2011 census. The influx of Vietnamese people to Australia came after the Whitlam government removed the last elements of the White Australia Policy in the 1970s, which had been a series of laws that prevented people from outside Europe from immigrating to Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Vietnamese-born people in Australia | 185,000 (2011 census) |
| Estimated number of Vietnamese-born people in Australia | 200,000+ (2011) |
| Number of people who speak Vietnamese at home in Australia | 219,000 (2011 census) |
| Number of Vietnamese-born people in Australia (1991) | 124,000 |
| Number of Vietnamese-born people in Australia (2011) | 185,000 |
| Number of people who speak Vietnamese at home in Australia (2011) | 233,000 |
| Number of Vietnamese refugees accepted by Australia | 100,000+ |
| Number of Vietnamese refugees who arrived by boat | 2,000+ |
| Year the Whitlam government removed the "White Australia Policy" | 1970s |
| Year the Racial Discrimination Act came into effect | 1975 |
| Year Saigon fell | 1975 |
| Year the last Vietnamese refugee boat landed in Australia | 1981 |
| Total number of Vietnamese refugees accepted by Australia | 55,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The fall of Saigon in 1975
The Fall of Saigon, also known as the "Day of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification" in Vietnam, took place on April 30, 1975, and marked the end of the Vietnam War. The capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) was the last major event of the war and signalled the unification of Vietnam.
The fall of Saigon was preceded by a series of events that began with the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, which allowed the United States to withdraw its troops from Vietnam and left North Vietnamese army units in South Vietnam. However, low-intensity fighting continued, and the South Vietnamese government faced financial difficulties due to rampant inflation, corruption, and the loss of U.S. support.
In March 1975, the North Vietnamese launched offensives in the Central Highlands and Quang Tri province, and South Vietnamese counterattacks failed due to mass desertions. On March 13, South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered his army to withdraw southward, but the retreat turned into a rout as refugees and troops clogged roads. The North Vietnamese pressed their advantage and captured more cities, including the second-largest city, Da Nang, causing even more refugees to flee.
On April 29, 1975, North Vietnamese troops shelled Saigon's Tan Son Nhut Air Base, and U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin ordered the evacuation of Saigon. The evacuation, known as Operation Frequent Wind, involved the airlift of almost all American civilian and military personnel, as well as tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians associated with the Republic of Vietnam. The evacuation was the most ambitious helicopter evacuation in history, and American diplomats played a crucial role in issuing visas and facilitating the departure of Vietnamese and American citizens.
On April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese Army launched its final attack on Saigon, with the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (VC) under the command of General Văn Tiến Dũng. Within hours, the South Vietnamese government offered to surrender. At noon on the same day, a T-54 tank burst through the gates of the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace, and Lieutenant Bui Quang Than raised the Viet Cong flag. The capture of the city ended 26 years of pro-Western Saigon regimes.
The fall of Saigon resulted in a wave of emigration from Vietnam, with many refugees seeking resettlement in countries like the United States and Australia. The migration of Vietnamese people to Australia was facilitated by the Orderly Departure Program, with a focus on family reunion. Over time, Vietnam's government relaxed departure restrictions, leading to an increase in migration arrival numbers to Australia.
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The White Australia Policy
In response to these fears, various legislative measures were enacted to limit non-white immigration. The first race-based anti-immigration policy was passed in 1855 to restrict the number of Chinese immigrants, and by 1888 all the colonies had restricted Chinese immigration. This was followed by legislation targeting other non-white groups, including indentured sugar plantation workers from the Pacific Islands, who were known as "Kanakas". The 1868 and 1883 Polynesian Laborers Acts were passed to restrict the immigration of these workers, and in 1896, anti-immigration laws were extended to all non-white and non-European immigrant populations, regardless of their origin.
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Dangerous journeys by boat
The first Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Australia were orphaned infants evacuated by Operation Babylift in April 1975, before the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces. Over 3,000 children were flown to Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The first adult refugees arrived by boat on 26 April 1976, sailing into Darwin Harbour on a 20-metre boat named the Kein Giang. The boat was captained by 20-year-old Lam Binh, who had sailed 3,500 kilometres with his younger brother, friends, and 38 other refugees.
The journey was dangerous, with many people dying at sea due to dangerous seas, overcrowded or unsafe boats, and pirate attacks. One account tells of a 17-year-old woman who was raped by pirates and set adrift in a basket. Many refugees also recounted being sent back out to sea after arriving in a neighbouring country, only to be refuelled and given food.
Over the next few years, about 2,000 more refugees travelled to Australia in boats, with more than 80,000 Vietnamese people moving to Australia in the decade following the Vietnam War. Australia agreed to resettle refugees under a refugee resettlement plan between 1975 and 1985, and until 1983, took in more than 15,000 refugees per year.
Since 1976, Australia has become home to a thriving Vietnamese community, with over 330,000 people identifying as having Vietnamese ancestry in the 2021 Census.
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Resettlement programs
The end of the Vietnam War in 1975, marked by the fall of Saigon, precipitated the mass Indochinese refugee crisis, causing more than 2 million people to flee the region. Many Vietnamese people fled to Australia due to the harsh treatment in camps similar to the USSR's Gulag camps. The Vietnamese government killed an estimated 1 million people in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos between 1975 and 1987.
The Whitlam government's decision to remove the remaining elements of the "White Australia Policy" in the 1970s also played a role in the increase in Vietnamese migration to Australia. The "White Australia Policy" was a set of laws that prevented people from outside Europe from immigrating to Australia, starting with the Immigration Restriction Act 1901.
The Australian government's resettlement programs for Vietnamese refugees faced negative public sentiment, with some Australians labelling Vietnamese arrivals as "queue jumpers". Despite this, the Fraser government maintained its commitment to the resettlement program, leading public opinion rather than following it.
The Orderly Departure Program (ODP), agreed upon by the Australian and Vietnamese governments, emphasized family reunion. Refugees accepted to Australia were processed in camps in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also played a crucial role in resettling Vietnamese refugees, receiving more than 800,000 Vietnamese into camps across Southeast Asia and resettling over 700,000 abroad.
The hazardous journeys undertaken by Vietnamese refugees are well documented. Many refugees fled in unseaworthy boats and faced the risk of piracy and abuse. Despite these challenges, the successful resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in Australia contributed to a significant cultural shift, with Vietnamese cuisine and communities flourishing in the country.
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Economic growth in Vietnam
Vietnam's economic growth is expected to be the strongest among emerging Southeast Asian economies, according to the World Bank. The country's economic growth is forecast to reach 6.1% by the end of 2024 and 6.5% in 2025, outperforming other emerging economies in the region.
Several factors contribute to Vietnam's economic growth:
- Manufacturing exports: Vietnam has become a key manufacturing hub, attracting significant foreign investment due to its low labor costs and large, young workforce. For example, Apple has invested over $15 billion in the country in the past five years.
- Tourism: The rebound in tourism has contributed to Vietnam's economic growth, with the country benefiting from increased export demand.
- Geopolitical position: Vietnam's geopolitical position between China and the US offers opportunities for optimizing trade and investment benefits. China is Vietnam's biggest trade partner and plays a crucial role in its manufacturing sector.
- Domestic market: Vietnam's large population of almost 100 million, with a rising middle class, presents a significant domestic market advantage.
- Trade partnerships: Vietnam has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with countries like China, attracting investment and enhancing its manufacturing sector.
However, Vietnam also faces challenges, including a poor reputation regarding corruption, political censorship, human rights, and civic society issues. Small and mid-size companies within Vietnam struggle to compete with international manufacturers, and the country's economic growth is heavily dependent on foreign direct investment.
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Frequently asked questions
The end of the Vietnam War, marked by the fall of Saigon in 1975, precipitated the mass Indochinese refugee crisis, which saw more than 2 million people flee the region. Many Vietnamese refugees migrated to Australia due to the abolishment of the White Australia Policy, which previously prevented people from outside Europe from immigrating to Australia.
The journey for Vietnamese refugees was often dangerous and deadly. Many refugees escaped on unseaworthy boats, facing harsh conditions at sea, including food scarcity and pirate attacks.
The Australian government, led by the Fraser government, implemented a courageous and visionary policy of accepting a large number of Vietnamese refugees despite negative public sentiment. The government emphasized family reunion and worked with the Vietnamese government on the Orderly Departure Program to facilitate legal resettlement.
