GPS 320
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
AMEN DISTRIBUTION
FM UKMIS GENEVA 190830Z NOV BØ
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 497 OF 19/11/80
INFO UKMIS NEW YORK
8-10/12
19 NOVEMBER 1980
YOUR TELNO 269: VISIT OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES TO
LONDON
1. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
2. THERE ARE AT PRESENT NO SERIOUS BONES OF CONTENTION BETWEEN OURSELVES AND UNHCR. HARTLING MAY BE BRIEFED BY HIS OFFICE TO RAISE SUCH BILATERAL ISSUES AS THE DETERMINATION OF REFUGEE STATUS IN THE UK: THE RATE OF RE-SETTLEMENT IN THE UK: THE FORCIBLE RETURN OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG TO CHINA: AND OUR UNWILLINGNESS TO GIVE GUARANTEES FOR REFUGEES RESCUED AT SEA BY BRITISH SHIPS (1.E. THE BRUNE! CASE). I SHOULD NOT (NOT) HOWEVER EXPECT HIM TO BE KEEN TO DO THIS. I THINK HE IS MORE LIKELY TO WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS MEETINGS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND YOURSELF TO RAISE WIDER QUESTIONS, PERHAPS DURING A GENERAL DISCUSSION TO SEEK YOUR VIEW'S ON UNHCR'S ROLE IN THE CO-ORDINATION OF EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND ON THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND AGAINST WHICH HIS ORGANISATION HAS TO WORK. HE MAY EXPECT YOU TO PURSUE THE SUGGESTIONS WE PUT FORWARD AT THE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER ON RESCUE AT SEA. I DOUBT THAT HE WOULD WISH TO RAISE THE RE- SHUFFLING AND STRENGTHENING OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT ( (E) OF TUR).
3. MY FORECAST OF THE SUBJECTS HARTLING IS HIMSELF MOST TO RAISE IS AS FOLLOWS (IN ORDER OF PRIORITY TO HMG)■-
LIKELY
(A) A POSSIBLE NEW UK QUOTA FOR INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES, WITH A REMINDER THAT THE PRIME MINISTER INITIATED THE JULY 1979 CONFERENCE AND YOU ATTENDED IT:
(B) UNHCR'S ROLE IN THE CO-ORDINATION OF EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE UN SYSTEM:
(C) HMG'S VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND AND PROSPECTS OF RECENT CONFLICTS WHICH HAVE LED TO REFUGEE OUTFLOWS, NOTABLY IN AFGHANISTAN, CAMBODIA AND IRAN/IRAQI
RESTRICTED
/(D)
a