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ortes + bu. Mr Segar
United Kingdom Mission 37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20
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PJ
1995
Р.
24.3/2.
:
CM J Segar Eso
Segar
SEAD
FCO
Good
FA 243/4
RICRIVED A REGISTRY NO. NA
p.a.
DRSK OFFICER
INDEX
Dear Christopher
ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME (ODP)
1.
REGISTRY
Action: Tike
2010 &P ୫
Your reference
Our reference
Date
13 October 1983
HKK 245
248/2
1783
SAISTRY
i'akan
Au
In line with the practice in recent years, the Vietnamese sent a Delegation to Geneva the week before the meeting of the Executive Committee to discuss the ODP with UNHCR and interested Governments. UNHCR arranged a meeting on 5 October.
2
The Vietnamese Delegation was again headed by Vice-Minister Ha van Lau. UNHCR circulated the enclosed paper on numbers departing under the ODP and of Cambodians who have left Vietnam. Most of the recipient countries mentioned in the lists were represented at the meeting.
3. Ha van Lau opened by saying that the ODP was continuing well and on an ever increasing scale. Monthly average departures in 1983 had been 1,600 and the September figure was over 2,200. The majority were going to US, France, GDR, Belgium and Sweden. The UNHCR had played a considerable role in the increased number of departures but so had the Vietnamese. Despite the increase, the Vietnamese were not entirely satisfied with the existing procedures of some countries and they hoped that those countries (unspecified) would ease their criteria for taking people under the ODP. There was praise for Canada, FRG and Belgium for the flexible way they applied their immigration procedures. Sweden, Switzerland and Austria were al congratulated for demonstrating a spirit of understanding. Ha van Lau seid that Vietnam had responded positively to the requests made at the meeting last year and had increased the number of personnel allocated to the programme and agreed to extend the stay of UNHCR staff members. There were still more than 21, 000 people in Vietnam who wished to leave. It was important that they should depart under the ODP so as to avoid further illegal departures. Finally, he pointed out that Vietnam was not able to respond favourably to departure requests from those Cambodian refugees in Vietnam who had left the camps and taken up employment.
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