235
GPS 375
CONFIDENTIAL
PN UKMIS GENEVA 2515002 JAN 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 34 OF 25 JANUARY 1979
INFO WASHINGTON, HONG KONG, HANDI.
HKK 243
RECEIVED
243/1
2 6 JAN197
AN 1973
31
INDEX
en
P..
No
४ख/
ar
INFO SAVING HOLY SEE, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, CANDERRA, OTTAWA, MANILA,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. PARA 10 OF MY TELNO 27. I AM SENDING BY TODAY'S BAG THE
UNHCR PAPER ON THE SPECIAL PROCESSING CENTRE FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA.
THIS ASKS SEVERAL QUESTIONS SUCH AS HOW BIG THE CENTRE SHOULD BE, FOR WHOM IT SHOULD BE INTENDED (EG FUTURE BOAT PEOPLE ONLY OR ALL PRESENT CASES INCLUDING LAND REFUGEES), WHO SHOULD EXERCISE JURISDICTION AND SUPPLY STAFF, AND WHETHER. GOVERNMENTS COULD GUARANTEE COSTS AND/OR EVENTUAL RESETTLEMENT. I SHOULD WELCOME
ANSWERS BY TELEGRAM,
>
2. THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES DE HAAN, CALLED ON
HE TODAY. HE EXPECTS TO GO TO HANOI NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS FAMILY
REUNIFICATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND WAS CALLING ON CERTAIN
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES TO HELP BRIEF HIMSELF. HIS VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE WAS THAT SCHE 12,900 RELATIVES OF EXISTING REFUGEES WERS INVOLVED (RELATIVES OF PEOPLE OTHER THAN REFUGEES ARE · OUTSIDE UNHCR'S MANDATE). THE MAJORITY WOULD PROBALBY WISH TO GO TO THE US, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA BUT HE WONDERED WHETHER WE KNEW OF MANY WISHING TO JOIN RELATIVES IN THE UK.
3. DE HAAN THOUGHT EACH COUNTRY WOULD WISH TO FOLLOW ITS OWN IMMIG- RATION PROCEDURES BUT THAT THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES MIGHT PREFER TO DEAL INITIALLY WITH UNHCR RATHER THAN WITH EMBASSY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS. HE WOULD HAVE TO FIND OUT. ONE POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE FOR THE UNHCR OFFICE IN HANOI TO OBTAIN APPROVAL OF INDIVIDUAL CASES BY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND THEN
MATCH APPLICATIONS WITH THOSE RECEIVED THROUGH EMBASSIES FROM
RELATIVES IN HOST COUNTRIES.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4. GRATEFUL