St: 0930
2 DEPARTMENT IS QUITE INTERESTED IN THE ORR SUGGESTION THAT REFUGEES BE PRE-CLEARED AND THEN ALLOWED TO WORK IN HONG KONG ECONOMY. "OT ONLY WOULD THIS GREATLY REDUCE CARE AND MAINTENANCE BUT ACCORDS WITH OUR INCREASINGLY STRONG VIEW THAT SIZE OF RAPIDLY GROWING INDO CHINESE REFUGEE CASELOAD AND CONCURRENT LENGTHENING OF PERIOD INDIVIDUAL REFUGEE MAY HAVE TO WAIT FOR PERMANENT RESETTLE- MENT STRONGLY MILITATES FOR INTERIM SOLUTIONS WHICH PLACE REFUGEES IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE MODE.
3. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY (REFTEL) STATED THAT RELEASE OF A REFUGEE INTO HONG KONG ECONOMY WOULD NOT CAUSE US TO RE- GARD THAT REFUGEE AS RESETTLE IN HONG KONG AND IN- ELIGIBLE FOR OUR CONDITIONAL NTRY OR PAROLE PROGRAMS SC LONG AS THE HKG SPECIFICALLY NOTED AT THAT TIME THAT SUCH WAS NOT INTENDED AND THE REFUGEE WAS STILL REGARDED AS A TEMPORARY RESIDENT. WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO REPEAT SUCH ASSURANCES IF HELPFUL.
4. ORR FURTHER SUGGESTS THAT REFUGEES BE INTERVIEWED FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE U.S. PROGRAMS AND THAT A GENERAL GUARANTEE BE GIVEN SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF NUMBERS AND FUNDS. WE COULD INTERVIEW AND PRE-CLEAR REFUGEES TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE U. S. PROGRAMS WITHOUT PROVIDING A GUARANTEE THAT WE WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE NUMBERS TO MOVE THESE REFUGEES. IT WOULD, HOWEVER, HAVE TO BE EXPLICITLY UNDERSTOOD THAT NO MOVEMENT GUARANTEE WAS BEING GIVEN.
5.
TO PROVIDE THE GUARANTEE ENVISIONED. BY ORR WOULD RE- QUIRE A FORWARD COMMITTMENT OF RESETTLEMENT NUMBERS IN MUCH THE SAME FASHION AS THE GUARANTEES PROVIDED FOR A REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTER (RPC). WHILE ORR SPEAKS IN TERMS ONLY OF ULTIMATE RESETTLEMENT, WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO SET UP A FIXED SCHEDULE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THIS MIGHT BE QUITE LIBERAL - SAY A FIVE YEAR TURNOVER PERIOD FOR REFUGEES INVOLVED IN THE SCHEME. NEVERTHELESS; SINCE IT WOULD REQUIRE A DEFINITE RPC TYPE FORWARD COMMITTMENT, IT MUST BE WEIGHED AGAINST COMPETING CLAIMS AND OUR LIMITED ABILITY TO MAKE SUCH FORWARD COMMITTMENT S. FURT HER CONSULTATIONS WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND WITH THE CONGRESS WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE A DECISION ON THIS POINT CAN BE REACHED.