A/34/627 English Page 10
27.
C.
Orderly departures fi om Viet Nam
Following the announcement on 12 January by the Government of Viet Nam that it was prepared to grant exit visas to all Vietnamese, with the exception of those in certain categories who, by written request, expressed their wish to leave, and after discussions held at Hanoi between the Vietnamese Government and UNHCR, a Memorandum of Understanding was concluded on 30 May 1979 between the Government and that Office regarding a seven-point programme for the orderly departure from Viet Nam of "family reunion and other humanitarian cases". This programme is being carried out on the basis of a procedure involving the exchange of lists whereby Governments of countries prepared to admit persons from Viet Nam for resettlement ("receiving countries") compile lists of persons for whom entry visas are available and the Vietnamese Government prepares lists of persons duly registered as wishing to leave under the programme. These lists are exchanged under the auspices of UNHCR and those persons whose names appear on both lists qualify for departure. Cases appearing on only one list (that is, only on a receiving country list or only on the list of the Government of Viet Nam) will be subject to discussions between UNHCR and the Vietnamese Government or the Government of the receiving country, as appropriate.
28. Practical measures within the framework of the programme commenced both in Viet Nam and at UNHCR headquarters immediately following the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding. In Viet Nam, the Government and UNHCR have appointed personnel pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding who are co-operating closely in implementing the programme, both in Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City, and at UNHCR headquarters a special unit has been set up to serve as liaison, through the UNHCR field offices concerned, with the competent authorities in the receiving countries, especially in relation to the provision and transmission to Hanoi of lists of persons for whom entry visas are available.
29. Flights under the programme commenced at the end of June and, by the end of September, there had been eight flights from Viet Nam to Bangkok, involving the movement of 879 persons to various receiving countries in the Americas, Europe. and Oceania.
30. Efforts directed towards establishing the regularity of movement and accelerating its rate are being actively pursued with a number of Governments of receiving countries as well as with the Government of Viet Nam. Particular attention is being given to the need for the careful preparation of lists and the streamlining of processing procedures.
31.
D. Rescue at sea
The question of the rescue of refugees and displaced persons in distress in the South China Sea has been of concern to UNHCR since 1975. The Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's programme, at its twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth sessions, made several recommendations regarding this problem, which was further considered during the Consultative Meeting with Interested Governments on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia, held at Geneva on 11 and 12 December 1978.
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