VE
the publication with me and gave them to the first three persons who asked for one;
the United Kingdom Mission in Geneva, Mr Pedersen, responsible for Protection
Western Europe, and Dr Weis, formerly retained expert to the United Kingdom delegation
to EXCom. No other emotion was evinced. Any lobbying on other countries' uptake of
refugees from Hong Kong will probably start once EXCOM opens on 7 October and I would
imagine that our Ambassador will include some reference in her statement. The
United Kingdom delegation will include a representative from Hong Kong who,
traditionally, uses his visit to sound out possibly receptive countries.
10.
Conclusion
This was, unexpectedly apart from Irregular Movements, a most interesting and useful
meeting of the Sub-Committee. It would seem that, at last, with the realization that
the developed, and major contributing, States are truly tired of the abuse and
overloading of their procedural and reception facilities UNHCR has felt obliged
albeit reluctantly to take account of our concerns. If the spirit of the irregular
movements paper is realised in a conclusion of EXCom, one small step towards
regionalisation will have been taken; voluntary repatriation, in the event that
opportunities arise for its implementation, will serve to however small a degree to
reduce the refugee load on receiving States. I shall report in due course and at shorter
length on next week's doings at the Executive Committee, when I will also circulate
the final version of papers referred to throughout this report.
Katanonil
R. A. MCDOWALL
4 October 1985