CODE 18 77
CONFIDENTIAL
Hick 243/1
Reference
RO. 51
Mr Stimson (on return)
INDEX
1 4 MAR 1979
PEĢISTRY ction Takes
for
13/5
476
How manyarn J13.3
UNHCR AND INDO-CHINA REFUGEES: ABY THE CANADIAN ASSISTANT UNDER
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR IMMIGRATION
1. Mr Bell of the Canadian Immigration Ministry called on me today on his way back to Canada following a meeting in Geneva with Mr Paul Hartling, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Mr Bell was accompanied by Mr Trueman, Second Secretary at the Canadian High Commission. He made the following points:-
a) Canada supported the proposal to establish an island processing centre in South East Asia for refugees. The Canadian Government would offer a certain number of resettlement places (possibly 2,000 in the first year) in Canada for refugees from the island. He was not sure whether these would be part of the existing Canadian quota of 5,000 for 1979 or in addition: it was possible that most would be admitted in addition".
b) The island should be used for new arrivals of "boat refugees" only. This would cover all new arrivals in any of the countries of the regions who would be sent on to the island. Exceptionally he thought it might be necessary to transfer some "boat people" to the island from camps in Thailand.
c) Those refugees who arrived direct at the island should be allowed
ashore.
d) On Mr de Haan's (Deputy UNHCR) current visit to South East Asia, including to Hanoi, he said he had been told by the UNHCR that Mr de Haan had been firm with the Vietnamese Government. Mr de Haan is reported to have said UNHCR would not get involved in controlling the numbers leaving unless the SRV made a major move. With regard to family reunification, the UNHCR were, for example, not going to split families by resettling some members of a family and leaving behind boys of military age. The latter must be allowed also to leave. The SRV apparently agreed.
e) With regard to those who could not expect to leave Vietnam as part of a family reunification scheme, Mr de Haan told the SRV that he would not become involved unless those who wished to leave the country had at least as good a chance of getting away as those who leave on boats. The SRV, apparently, agreed that the UNHCR should proceed on this basis and that the Government would cooperate. The UNHCR will, therefore, set up an office in Ho Chi Minh City this
summer.
2. Mr Bell said the Deputy UNHCR would brief Geneva Missions on his visit when he returns next week.
3. I asked Mr Bell how the people who wanted to leave Vietnam would be accepted for resettlement. Would UNHCR simply announce there were, say 10,000 people who wanted to leave and appeal for places for them or would they go to the island centre? I said that if the new arrangement worked and the exodus by boat dried up then there might
CONFIDENTIAL
/well