The world’s largest resettlement operation passed a significant milestone this week — more than 30,000 Myanmar refugees in camps in Thailand have been relocated to third countries like Canada since 2005.

Of the 30,144 departures so far, most have gone to the United States. But approximately 2,600 Myanmar refugees have come to Canada dreaming of a home, of work and of safety.

"Being in a refugee camp is almost like your whole life has stopped," said Chris Friesen, director of B.C.’s Immigrant Services Society (ISS), the recipient of all government-assisted refugees in B.C. "Then all of a sudden you get this opportunity to come to Canada. It’s almost like you’re reborn."

But relocating to a third country after decades of living in a camp is not without its challenges.

"You go from being in a camp situation to being in a concrete jungle," Friesen said. "It means having a lot of strength and survival skills but having to readjust them to the Canadian context."

ISS houses up to 900 refugees per year, providing language support and resettlement training.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada Minister Diane Finley recently announced that Canada will welcome an additional 1,300 Myanmar refugees through 2009, most of whom are relatives of the 2,600 selected previously.

Finley has been in hot water recently over the controversial Bill C-50, amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. She says the new legislation will not affect Ottawa’s commitment to upholding family reunification and refugee protection.

Canada, the U.S. and Australia, known as the ‘Big Three,’ take more refugees than any other country, but it’s only a drop in the bucket, says Michael Casasola, a resettlement officer for the UN Human Rights Commission for Refugees (UNCHR).

"There are 11 million refugees in the world," he said from Ottawa.

"Last year, we helped resettle 80,000 — less than one per cent of the total number."

About 300 Myanmar refugees leave Thailand every week for resettlement, and close to 8,000 more could leave by the end of this year.

The nine camps remain home to 123,584 refugees and asylum-seekers.

The UNCHR is working at full capacity to identify the most vulnerable refugees, who are then referred to Canada, said Casasola.

"It can be exhilarating and overwhelming," said Friesen. "It’s a long and arduous process but in the end somehow the human spirit prevails."