OCT.15 85 16:15 GMT HO 2 LUNAR HOUSE
HOME OFFICE
Lunar House Wellesley Road Croydon CR9 2BY
Telephone 01-676-0395-405-
P.02
u. HKD
SEAD Rth (immediate)
34
Robin Janvrin Esq
UN Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Room K153
King Charles Street
LONDON
SWIA ZAH
760 2648
Please reply to The Under Secretary of State
Your reference
Our reference
UNS 243/23
Datt
12OCT 1985
IMG/85 72/1126/8
October 1985
MKK. 24312
RE༤་ངན.
་ར་ ་་༤
71085
Dear Mr Janvrin
UNHCR
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
1. We spoke this morning about a request from the London Representative of the UNHC that Government money be made available to pay the travel costs of the Vietnamese refugees whose admission under relaxed family reunion criteria was announced in the recent reponse to the SCORRI report on refugee matters. I attach a copy of Mr von Arnim's letter. You agreed to consider this in Mr Wildash's absence.
2. There are awkward financial, precedential and presentational issues raised for us by this approach. We do not yet know how long a commitment Mr von Arnim would wish us to enter into: this resettlement programme will spread over two financial years at least. Similarly, we do not know how deep or continuing is UNHCR's financial crisis, both of itself or in relation to other UN agencies. Mr von Arnim's letter is unclear as to whether the Government should fund general refugee family reunion activity, or just that relating to these 500 cases. If the former, the cost could be very high, and could set a more awkward precedent than if the 500 only were ao funded.
3. I am making other enquiries, but we need, as you can see, some advice and help from UND. The various Home Office interests will probably need to meet UND to discuss the matter before we draft a reply to Mr von Arnim. And before we do so, it would be helpful to know the following:
1.
11.
111.
iv.
UNHCR's financial year; is it April-April, or the calendar year?
How serious are UNHCR's financial difficulties?
Has UNHCR made similar approaches already to UND?
What has been, or would be, UND's reaction to other approaches?
How much of the United Kingdom contribution towards UNHCR's costs is intended for refugee transport costs?
vi. What is the position of other countries vis a vis UNHCR's costs in this area? The letter refers only to United Kingdom and France expecting UNHCR to pay direct.
Is this s07