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finances, they may well return to the charge. We would
provide fands to cover
look to the Home Office to meet the costs (estimated
by Dr von Arnim at about US$300,000) if it is decided
mut
that, HMG should pay them. The ODA understandably do not regard meet these travel costs as a form of development
assistance and are therefore not in a position to provide
funds from the aid budget. Nor are the Diplomatic Wing
or the Hong Kong Government in a position to pay.
4.
It will of course be somewhat embarrasing if, when
we have completed our interdepartmental consideration
of this question, we have to confirm to UNHCR that HMG
will not pay these expenses. It would be particularly
unfortunate if UNHCR, unable to meet the cost from
UNHCR
General Brogramme funds, launched an international Special Appeal to raise money for this purpose.
have been helpful to us in our diplomatic initiative to
encourage other countries to accept refugees from
Hong Kong.
Against the background of UNHCR's financial
crisis we shall not be making any additional unearmarked
contributions to UNHCR's
current financial year.
General Brogrammes in UNHCR's
Nor have we announced a
significant increase in our unearmarked contributions
to the general programmes for the new financial year
(1986).
5.
We would not want you to raise the subject formally
with UNHCR in Geneva at this stage. But it would be
helpful to us in our consideration of the question here
to have your comments on Dr von Arnim's letter in the
light of any informal contact you may have with UNHCR.
In particular, it would be interesting to know whether
it is really the case, as Dr von Arnim claims in his
letter, that all resettlement countries except the UK
and France pay for the transportation of resettlers.
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